


World's Greatest Detective: Genesis

by KatrinaCastillo



Series: Knight of the Castle [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Castle
Genre: Alexis Castle is the most amazing person ever, Castle family feels, Castle is a BAMF, Episodic Chapters, Gen, New York is Corrupt but the 12th Precinct is a beacon of hope, Richard Castle is the Batman, Season/Series 01, Secret identites, The NYPD works with Batman all the time, pre-Caskett, three years post Batman Begins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 16:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 39,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5297495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatrinaCastillo/pseuds/KatrinaCastillo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been three years since the Batman first appeared to protect Manhattan, and he's grown a reputation within both the criminal underground and the legal system. However, Richard Castle is having trouble separating his two very different lives. His lack of writing has little to do with writer's block and everything to do with being a vigilante. But when he crosses paths with Detective Beckett, he finds a muse for his new book series. Between this and being the Batman, Castle may have his work cut out for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Flowers for Your Grave

**Author's Note:**

> Based off 1x01

_"Murder. Mystery. The macrabe. However the spell is cast, tonight we honor a master of the form and celebrate the launch of_ _Storm Fall_ _... Ladies and gentlemen, the master of the macrabe; Richard Castle!"_

_"Alison Tisdale. 24, grad student from NYU."_

_"Two shots to the chest. Small caliber."_

_"Does this look familiar to anyone?"_

_"You've seen this before? Where?"_

_"Don't you guys read?!"_

* * *

"You should have me committed," Castle muttered, coming to stand beside Alexis. The redhead looked up from her books, brows furrowed.

"For what?" she questioned. "The party?"

Castle took a sip of champagne before turning to Alexis. "Do you want to know why I killed off Derrick?" he asked. "There were no surprises, no more challenges. I knew exactly what was going to happen, every moment in every scene. Life is supposed to be full of adventure and surprises."

"And Derrick Storm was lacking in that department," Alexis said, nodding in agreement.

"The same thing with these parties," Castle went on. "'I'm your biggest fan' 'Where do you get your ideas?'"

"And the ever popular 'Will you sign my chest?'" Alexis added with a disgusted eye roll.

"Yea, that one I don't mind so much," Castle admitted, sipping more champagne.

"Well, FYI; I do," Alexis informed. Her dad didn't respond, instead continuing to stare at his glass. Alexis looked at him contemplation. "Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Could the reason that you're feeling so predicable is that there's somewhere you'd rather be right now?" the teenager guessed. "Doing something else?" When Castle looked at her in feigned confusion, Alexis smiled knowingly. "Oh, come on Dad! It's okay to admit it. Besides," she lowered her voice, "when you live a double life, one of the two is bound to be boring."

"Okay, we are not talking about  _that_  right now," Castle warned. Alexis rose an eyebrow challengingly. "But... if we were... I'd say that you're probably right," he finally conceeded with a sigh.

"A book party's gotta be pretty dull in comparison to a night full of kicking butt and taking names," Alexis acknowledged with a small grin.

"I just wish that for once, someone would come up to me- Richard Castle- and say something new," he admitted.

"Mr. Castle?"

With a sigh, Castle turned around, pen in hand, asking, "Where would ya like it?"

The woman lifted a badge, her eyes amused but her face serious. "Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD. I need to ask you a couple of questions about a murder that took place recently."

Castle was stunned into silence, his daughter mistook the reason why though. As she leaned over to grab his pen and say, "That's new," Alexis believed he was just surprised to be taken for a police investigation. But that was far from the truth. No, Richard Castle, vigilante and world's greatest detective, was surprised because he  _knew_  this woman. This was the same detective he saved three years ago after she was poisoned by Scarecrow.

' _This'll be interesting._ '

* * *

_**WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS** _

* * *

_"Alison Tisdale... She's dead. Did you ever meet her?"_

_"It's possible," Castle conceeded._

_"What about this guy? Marvin Fisk."_

_"What's this got to do with me?"_

_"Fisk was murdered two weeks ago," Beckett explained. "I didn't put it together until I saw the Tisdale crime scene tonight."_

_"_ _Flowers for Your Grave_ _," Castle realized, looking at a photo of the crime scene._

_"And this is how we found Marvin Fisk; right out of_ _Hell Hath No Fury_ _."_

"Do any of these 'groupies' send you letters? Disturbing letters?" Beckett wondered. "Because sometimes in cases like these, we find that the killer attempts to-"

"-attempts to contact the subject of his obsession," Castle finished off-handedly, studying the crime scene photos. When he noticed that the detective was silent, he looked up at her. Beckett's eyes were narrowed in question, a surprised look on her face. "I'm uh, well-versed in psychopathic methodologies," Castle explained. "Occupational hazard."  _Not just for writing though_ , he thought to himself. Realizing that she was still looking at him in consideration, Castle threw the playboy facade up and leaned forward. "Did you know you have beautiful eyes?"

* * *

"So," Alexis asked, following her dad into the study, "are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I have to hack the NYPD database to find out?"

"Hey, we had a deal," Castle reminded. "You can hack whatever you want, but government databases are for  _work only_." He stood in front of the bookcase, eyes searching. Alexis waited for his to open the passage to the lair, but he didn't.

"Dad," she began after a few moments, "are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Despite my best efforts, no," Castle assured. "They want my help on a case."

At this, the redhead blinked in surprise. "They want your help? Not the Batman, but you?" she said in wonder. "Why? What case?"

"Someone's been killing people the way I did in my books," Castle explained, pulling two books off of the shelves. "Two vics; Alison Tisdale and Marvin Fisk."

"Are you ok?" Alexis wondered. The writer was silent for a few moments.

"These murders were senseless," he finally stated, "when, usually, murder makes a great deal of sense. Passion, greed, politics... But the killer chose to model after two of my lesser works. Why?"

She knew he was musing to himself, but after nearly three years of working with him in crime-fighting, Alexis learned when to step in. "Come on Dad; it's past bedtime," she stated. "We can figure it out tomorrow."

"Yeah..." His voice was noncomittal, his mind already well into the case.

He had an idea.

* * *

Castle had already been in this office before, but it felt foreign to him. Probably because he was currently mask-less and was speaking without a voice disguiser.

Captain Montgomery entered the office. "Mr. Castle, is it?" he greeted, offering a hand. Castle shook it with a nod. "Captain Montgomery. You said you had useful information about the Tisdale case?"

"Actually, I wanted to offer my services," Castle corrected. "Considering the killer is using scenarios and techniques from my books, I think I could be helpful at finding this guy."

Montgomery considered it, but he shook his head. "I see your point, but we don't normally work with outside help."

At this, Castle snorted. Montgomery fixed him with a glare, to which Castle shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, sir, but have you seen the nightlight that the NYPD is so fond of switching on?" he chuckled, knowing full well that it would make the captain more lenient. "Seems to me that the NYPD is used to working with 'outsiders.'"

"Well, the Batman knows what he's doing," Montgomery countered.

"So do I," Castle promised. The captain studied him. "Sir, I can do this. I can help."

The two stared each other down; finally, Montgomery nodded. "Alright Mr. Castle," he conceeded. "You're in." He looked out the office door, motioning to Beckett. The detective walked in.

"Sir?" she greeted.

"Mr. Castle has offered to assist with the Tisdale case."

"Has he now?" Beckett said through gritted teeth.

"It's the least I can do for the city I love," Castle interjected.

"Consider the nature of the crime scenes, I think it's a good idea," Montgomery informed. "He'll be working with you and your team for the remainder of the case."

At this, Beckett's eyes widened, her jaw dropping. "Sir? Could I talk to you for a moment? In private?"

Montgomery looked at her knowingly. "No."

He walked away, leaving Beckett looking gobsmacked and Castle grinning victoriously.

* * *

"Why are you here?" Beckett asked a while later. "You don't care about the victimes, so you're not here for justice-"

_Wrong._

"-you don't care that the guys aping your books, so you aren't here because you're outraged-"

_Partially true._

"-so what is it, Rick?" Beckett wondered. "Are you here to annoy me?" Castle looked down at the papers in front of him.

"I'm here for the story," he ended up saying, deciding to take the safe route. "Why those people? Why those murders?"

"Sometimes there is no story," Beckett countered. "Sometimes the guy's just a psychopath."

Castle shook his head. "There's always a story," he promised. "Like you, for example. Under normal circumstances, you should not be here."

"Really?" Beckett questioned sarcastically. "Then tell me, Mr. Novelist, what is my story? How did I end up here?"

He could do that. He was a story-teller, but he was also a detective. He knew how to pick the clues up, how to piece them together into an intricately woven work of art. He studied her for a moment, preparing to do what he did best; find the story.

"Well, you're not bridge or tunnel," he began. "There's no trace of the boroughs when you talk; that means Manhattan, and  _that_  means money... You went to college, a good one too." He leaned forward, continuing to study her. "You had options. Lots of options. More socially acceptable options. Yet here you are."

Beckett nodded in agreement, signaling that so far he was correct. She didn't have to though; Castle already worked out the answer in those few moments.

"Something happened," he deduced. "Not to you; you're wounded, but not that wounded." He shook his head. "It was someone you cared about. Someone you loved." The way Beckett's smile disappeared confirmed Castle's theory. Swallowing roughly, he tried to ignore his own memories of losing someone as he continued. "You probably couldn't live with the thought that the person responsible was never caught." His eyes shifted to her wrist, and he saw it. A man's watch. Why would a woman wear a man's watch? Beckett was not a masculine woman; tough, but still feminine.

_It was her father's,_ Castle realized.

Taking in a deep breath, Castle could feel how dangerous this conversation was getting. Clearing his throat, he looked away from her. "And that, Detective Beckett, is why you're here."

"Cute trick," Beckett commented after a few moments. Castle didn't comment on how her voice wasn't as strong as it had been minutes ago as she continued, "But don't think that you know me."

"The point is, is that there's always a story," Castle stated, trying to ignore how soft his own voice had gotten. "You just have to find it."

Beckett looked up from the paper in her hands. "I think I just did."

* * *

"He still isn't speaking; his medical records indicate that he has Pervasive Development Disorder," Beckett informed. referring to Kyle Cabot who was sitting in the interrogation room. "He also has a history of delusions. Guess who his case worker was?"

"Alison Tisdale," Castle realized.

"Yea," Beckett said. "Her file indicates that he was on pretty heavy anti-psychotices."

"Good work Detective Beckett," Montgomery stated.

At this, Castle frowned. "Wait, that's it?" he questioned.

"What more do you want?" Montgomery asked in response. "Evidence is in his apartment and we can connect him with the three victims." He turned to Beckett. "Call Dent and get this guy legal aid."

As Mongtomery walked out of the observation room, Castle shook his head. "That's too easy," he countered.

"Sorry to disappoint you Castle," Beckett shrugged. "But out here, we find someone standing over a body? He's usually the guy who did it." The detective walked away, leaving Castle standing alone staring at Kyle Cabot.

* * *

The very next morning, Beckett was appalled and shocked to find Castle sitting at her desk and sifting through her papers. Rushing over, she snatched the papers out of his hands. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Sorry," Castle shrugged, a faint smile on his face. "It's a novelist's habit; going through people's mail, checking their messy cabinets-"

"Why are you still here?" Beckett interrupted. At that, Castle pulled out a wrapped box, offering it to her.

"I just came by to give you this," he responded. "Just something to... memorialize our brief partnership." Beckett looked from the box to the writer, not taking the gift. Castle chuckled, "Don't look so suspicious. Go on; open it."

Uncomfortably, Beckett opened the box, her eyes widening when she saw what was in it.

"I got you an advanced copy," Castle explained, referring to the copy of Storm Fall. "I even signed it to you. Not that you're a fan or anything."

Looking up from the book to its' writer, Beckett held back a smile, her wariness still present. "Thank you, Castle," she said. "This was actually... sweet." Castle smiled and picked up his backpack.

"Well... it was nice to have met you, Detective Beckett." He took a step forward and gently pressed his lips to her cheek. It was a brief peck, but it was long enough for him to drop a listening bug in her pocket. When he pulled back, Beckett's face was one of being taken aback. With a final smile, Castle walked past her and towards the elevator.

The doors closed behind him; that was when he took a bluetooth device out, now able to listen to Beckett and her conversations. He hadn't even reached the bottom floor when he heard her voice:  _"He didn't."_ The rustling of paper followed by a gasp of indignation made him grin.  _"He did!"_

Walking out of the elevator, Castle gripped the backpack with the police files in it tightly, a smirk on his face.  _She was good,_  Castle thought.  _Really good._

* * *

_"Richard Castle! You are under arrest for felony theft and obstruction of justice!"_

_"You forgot making you look bad," Castle joked._

_"You know, for a minute there, you made me believe that you were human. Cuff him."_

_"You should know that Kyle Cabot is innocent," Castle called out._

* * *

_"No more interference with this case, Mr. Castle," Montgomery warned. "Do we understand each other?"_

_"Yeah," Castle agreed. "But you've still got the wrong guy."_

* * *

_"The killer had to have known both his intended victim and Kyle Cabot fairly well," Castle mused. "The only victim with any real knowledge about Kyle would have been Alison Tisdale. Somebody wanted her dead. I just have to figure out why."_

* * *

_"He's dying," Castle announced._

_"What makes you think he's dying?"_

_"He's thinner now; sick-thin, not work-out-thin. And kept touching his hair, like he's self-conscious. It's a piece; a good one but new to him. That means chemo is relatively recent; and he was wearing make-up."_

Beckett blinked in surprise. "You noticed all of that in a brief meeting? You barely looked at the guy; you occupied with snooping around the office." Castle shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant.

"I'm very good with details," he offered. "Did you interview the brother?" Beckett shook her head.

"There was never any reason to," she replied. Castle smiled.

"Now there is."

As he turned and walked away, Beckett stared after him for a moment. Clearly there was more to Richard Castle than she had anticipated. Grinning to herself, she followed him.

* * *

_"Where were you the night of your sister's murder?" Beckett asked._

_"I was out of the country for all three murders."_

"Well, that was a waste of time."

"Don't take it so hard Castle," Beckett chuckled. "After all, you are just a writer."

Castle stopped walking, giving the detective a funny look. "You do realize he was lying, right?" he tested. At Beckett's questioning look, he explained. "He had an alibi prepared and ready to go. He didn't have to think about it. He knew when the other murders took place-" Beckett smirked, making Castle stop. "You already knew that, didn't you?"

Beckett's smirk remained in place. "Innocent people don't prepare alibis."

At this, Castle grinned goofily. "Which means I was right." Beckett groaned and rolled her eyes.

* * *

_"Castle, if you're going in, you should be armed," Beckett warned._

"Thanks Detective, but I don't do guns," Castle rebutted. A frown appeared on Beckett's face. Castle heard a sudden click. He would never admit it, but he hadn't seen it coming; she cuffed him to a scaffolding pole.

"This time," she said, "you stay put."

"Ok, very funny," Castle replied. "Joke's over; let me go."

But the cops were already waking away. Frowning after them, Castle waited until they were out of sight to pull his concealed lock pick from the inside of his sleeve.

_Not bad Detective,_  he thought as he worked the lock.  _Not bad at all_.

He made quick work of the cuff; freed, he went around back through the alleyway. Sure that Harrison wasn't making a run for it, Castle headed back to the car. Hearing a sudden thud, however, made him look back. Harrison stood on the ground and Beckett was yelling at him from the top of the fire escape. Without thinking, Castle ran after him.

"Castle, don't!" Beckett yelled, to no avail. She reached the groung, but noth men were out of sigh behind a truck. Slowly and quietly, Beckett crept along the side of the truck, her gun ready to fire-

"-I think you asked him, and he said no. He always said 'no,' didn't he?" Castle's voice asked. Beckett's brow furrowed as she continued walking forward as she continued walking forward. "Self-made man like that, he probably thought you were weak for asking."

"He was the weak one!" Harrison's voice argued. "I was trying to make something of myself, and all he cared about was her!"

"So it wasn't just about the money," Castle said. Beckett finally could see them; Harrison had his gun aimed at Castle, who stood a little more than an arms' length from him. Beckett silently cursed; she didn't have a clear shot without revealing herself. That would put Castle in even more danger. "You wanted to punish him before he died; take away the only thing he ever loved." Castle chuckled. "That actually makes for a really good story."

"Good story- Who are you?!" Harrison demanded, confused by Castle's logic. In a swift movement, Castle closed the distance between himself and the criminal, twisted the gun out of hand, and knocked Harrison unconscious with an elbow to the temple.

"Castle?" Beckett's voice came out as a whisper as she stood from her hiding spot. Castle turned towards her with another goofy grin on his face.

"Tell me you saw that!" he exclaimed.

Manuevering around the truck, Beckett cuffed Harrison before slamming Castle into the brick wall. Ignoring his indignant 'Hey!' she glared at him furiously. "What were you thinking?! You could've gotten yourself killed!"

Castle looked at the gun in his hand, which he handed to her with a knowing grin that surprised her. "The safety was on the whole time."

* * *

_"I guess this is it."_

_"Doesn't have to be. We could go to dinner," Castle offered. "Debrief each other."_

_"So I can be another one of your conquests?" Beckett teased._

_"Or I could be one of yours," the writer played along._

_"It was nice to meet you, Castle."_

_"That's too bad," Castle sighed. "It would've been great."_

_Grinning, Beckett stepped forward to whisper in his ear. "You have no idea."_

* * *

Late night found Batman returning from his nightly patrol. Once he left the Tumbler, he took the mask off and walked over to Alexis. From her seat, the redhead smiled at her dad. "More fun than a book party, right?" she joked. Castle chuckled, coming to stand next to her.

"What did you find out about Harrison?" he asked. Alexis turned to the computer screen.

"According to the NYPD's database, Harrison was booked and will face trial within the month," she informed. With a smiled, she looked at Castle. "So, what was it like? Working within the law and following protocol?"

The vigilante didn't answer right away, which intrigued his daughter. "You know something, Pumpkin?" he finally stated. "It wasn't all that bad."

* * *

"You wanted to see me sir?"

Captain Montgomery looked up as Beckett entered his office. "I just got a call from the Mayor's office," he began. "Apparently, you have a fan."

"A fan?"

"Richard Castle," Montgomery explained. "Seems he's found his main character for his next set of novels; a tough, but savvy female detective."

Beckett blinked in surprise. "I'm... flattered?"

"Don't be," Montgomery chuckled. "He says he has to do 'research.'"

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"No way!"

"Beckett-"

"Sir, he is like a nine-year-old on a sugar rush!" Beckett protested. "Incapable of taking  _anything_  seriously!"

"But he did help solve this case," Montgomery pointed out. "And based on your report, the man doesn't crack under the pressure of being held a gunpoint."

"But-"

"Let me explain something to you Beckett. When the mayor's happy, the commissioner is happy. And when the commissioner is happy, I'm happy."

Beckett let out a sigh of frustration. Finally, she nodded. "How long, sir?"

Montgomery motioned to something behind her. "It's up to him."

Beckett turned around in surprise; she hadn't even heard him approaching. But there he stood, cocky smile in place and eyes full of victorious pride.

_This is going to be interesting..._


	2. Nanny McDead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

"Mr. Castle, be advised. If you get injured following Detective Beckett to research your next novel, you cannot sue the city. If you get shot, you cannot sue the city. If you get killed–"

"My lifeless remains cannot sue the city," Castle deadpanned.

"Your heirs, Mr. Castle," the attorney corrected, making Castle nod in understanding.

"Do I have to wait for him to sign it, or can I shoot him now?" Beckett wondered, making Castle smirk at her.

"Mr. Castle, these waivers are serious business," the attorney continued. "Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable referring the matter to  _your_  attorney?"

Castle let out a laugh at this; he already put his life on the line every single night, and following a detective around? He wasn't going to see anything worse that what he already dealt with on a nightly basis. Considering the NYPD didn't know about that part of his life, he fell back on the playboy millionaire cover. "Are you kidding?" he chuckled. "He'd never let me sign these. Fortunately, it's his job to get me _out_  of trouble, and not to prevent me from getting into it."

The shrill of a cellphone interrupted the lawyer from commenting further. Beckett answered the call with the usual greeting of her surname. As she listened for the information, Castle watched with interest. Looks like they were going to get to work right away.

"Woah-wait- where are you going?" he asked as she walked out of the room.

"I have work to do," Beckett replied.

"We have a case?" Castle grinned.

"No,  _I_  have a case.  _You_  have paperwork." And she was gone, along with the smile on Castle's face. But the detective was right; he couldn't go anywhere near the case (as Richard Castle, at least) until all the paperwork was done.

It took less time than Castle expected, mostly thanks to the fact that most of the required documents had already been gathered and filed. He was out of there in under thirty minutes, and he was quick to call Alexis.

"Pumpkin, I need you to do me a favor," he said. "I need you to find any recently called in murder scenes within the precinct's jurisdiction."

" _How far back am I looking?"_  Alexis asked over the phone; Castle could hear her already typing away.

"Try within the last two hours," Castle suggested, calculating the time it would take for Beckett to be informed.

" _Okay…"_ The typing continued.  _"I've got it; texting it to you now, along with the case details they have so far."_

Castle grinned proudly. "You're the best," he thanked.

" _Don't make the detectives feel_ _ **too**_ _incompetent, okay?"_ his daughter joked.

As he hailed a cab, Castle shook his head. "I'll try."

* * *

_As the elevator door opened on the twelfth floor, Beckett froze when she saw Castle standing there. "Thought you ditched me back at the precinct, didn't you?"_

" _You're right Castle," Beckett said with a roll of her eyes. "My bad."_

" _Nanny's name is Sarah Manning, she worked for the Petersons for about two years."_

" _Detective Beckett, NYPD."_

" _Richard Castle, just… NY."_

* * *

_**WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS** _

* * *

" _Do you know of any way that I could reach Sarah's parents?"_

" _Are you really the one who has to call her parents?" Castle asked Beckett when they were alone in the elevator._

" _Easier to write about than to live through, huh Castle?"_

* * *

"If you're hungry, there's lots of leftovers," Alexis commented as Castle helped her with the dishes later that day.

"Thanks, but I already grabbed some food on the way home," the writer assured. At that, Alexis paused, giving him a considering look.

"You're not turning into a cop, are you?" she asked, making Castle look at her with a raised brow. Alexis shrugged, "I kinda like our vigilante status."

At that, Castle grinned at her. "Trust me Pumpkin; I like our vigilante status too."

"Is that the prodigal son I hear, returning from the night shift?" Martha called out, coming down the stairs. "Catch any perps today, kiddo?"

"Not yet," Castle responded easily, "but the night is still young." His phone suddenly rang with a text, gaining his interest as he read. "Looks like the perps get an extra few hours," he commented. "Beckett needs me to meet her at the ME's office." He kissed the top of Alexis' head. "If I'm not back by midnight, go to bed, ok?"

Alexis nodded in slight reluctance. "I'll call you if anything urgent comes up," she offered. Castle squeezed her shoulder, before moving to Martha.

"You will help her do the dishes," he stated. "And make sure she's not in the Cave all night," he added in a low whisper.

"Be careful," Martha called after him as he left.

* * *

" _Mr. Castle, nice to see you again," Lanie greeted._

" _What killed her?"_

" _Temporal bleeding… without medical attention, she didn't stand a chance… She had sex within the hours before her death."_

" _She knew the guy," Beckett realized._

* * *

" _Well he was cheating, just not with our victim."_

" _Guess who wasn't where they said they were the day Sarah Manning was killed?" Ryan smiled._

" _No way," Beckett said as she looked at the paper Ryan handed her._

* * *

" _You lied to me, Mrs. Peterson."_

" _My cheating husband has no idea that I'm about to serve him with divorce papers."_

* * *

It was still early night when Castle was home from the precinct, sitting in command chair in the Batcave. He could hear Martha humming from the stairwell leading into the lair, along with her footsteps, and turned towards her as she reached the bottom step. "Hello there," she greeted when she saw him. "What are you up to?"

Castle turned the chair back towards the supercomputer. "I burned a DVD from security cameras that the police are looking at; I'm trying to figure this out."

"The police just let you burn a DVD?"

"No," Castle scoffed with a grin. "But when has that ever stopped me from obtaining evidence?"

"You do realize that you need to be more careful with your habits now that you're working with the NYPD?" Martha warned. "And I thought the whole purpose of you following this detective around was to help you to write?"

"It's research!" Castle argued indignantly.

"You already fight crime, and solve cases as the Batman. Does Richard Castle really need to be working murder cases as well?" Martha asked.

"Richard Castle, Batman, potato, potahto," Castle replied. He was saved from any further comments from his mother as Alexis walked into the Cave.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile. "What's going on?"

"I'm working on a case, she's butting in," Castle answered, earning a playful swat from his mother.

"Is it the Riddler again?" Alexis wondered with a mixture of worry and annoyance, making Castle shake his head.

"No, Enigma's been completely silent these past few months," he replied. "This is the case I'm working on with Detective Beckett. The police can't find the nanny's cell phone," he began to explain. "It's in her hand the first time she went down to the laundry room, but then she doesn't have it when she goes down to use the dryer."

"Did she leave it in the apartment?" Alexis wondered.

"No, the police say that they can't… find it…" Castle's voice trailed off as he leaned forward, getting closer to the screen. "Wait a second…"

Alexis also leaned closer. "What?"

Slowly, a grin came onto Castle's face. "There's a five second time difference… She rides the elevator twice to the basement; the first time is to put the clothes in the washer, the second time in the dryer. Only the second time takes her five seconds longer."

"Why would it take her five seconds longer to travel the same distance?" Alexis questioned. Castle shook his head once, knowingly.

"It wouldn't."

* * *

" _It takes 32 seconds to reach the twelfth floor," Castle explained. "The second time it took her 37 seconds… The second time she was coming from the…"_

" _The fifteenth floor?" Beckett asked in confusion._

" _Prior to her murder, we believe that Sarah Manning came here… Did you see Sarah?"_

" _Ian, who the hell's phone is this?!" Mrs. Harris demanded._

* * *

" _What time did she leave your apartment?" Castle asked as he and Beckett interrogated Ian Harris._

" _Maybe 10 minutes before Chloe got back."_

" _Chloe's going after Ian Harris. We need to find her before she finds him."_

* * *

" _Ian Harris is up there; came home about an hour ago."_

" _Chloe would've been there waiting for him."_

" _We're gonna have to go in on our own."_

"Woah, what about him?" Esposito asked, motioning to Castle.

"He stays here," Beckett stated without a second thought.

"Woah, hold on!" Castle protested. "I already signed my life away, what more do you want?"

It was true; he hadn't expected Beckett to continue to bench him, and especially not after the Tisdale showdown. While he was fairly certain that Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito could handle the situation, Castle was also acutely aware of an innocent little girl and a betrayed wife who may be caught in the crossfire. And he needed to make sure that they were ok.

"Alright Castle, but it's accompany and observe. Not participate and annoy. Got it?" Beckett ordered.

"Participate and annoy is a lot more fun, but ok."

* * *

" _Where's Chloe, Mrs. Harris?"_

" _There's a girl in the laundry room, and she's got a knife."_

"So what's the plan?" Castle asked, wondering what approach Beckett was going to take. There weren't any hostages at stake; the only life at stake was Chloe's. Thankfully, lethal force wasn't necessary, but they could still make a tactical strike. Maybe if Castle distracted Chloe, while Beckett snuck around back through the service door–

"To make sure everyone gets out of this alive," Beckett said quietly, leaving Castle to pause, taken aback. Not the answer he had been expecting, but…

"Good plan," he agreed. As they approached the entrance to the laundry room, Beckett stopped, placing a hand on Castle's chest to keep him in place.

"You don't go in. You understand?" she asked. Castle shook his head.

"No," he countered, making the detective tense up. "She's unstable, and she's armed. You may have a gun, but like you said. 'Everyone gets out of this alive.' If there's two of us, she knows she's outnumbered, and she's less likely to attack." Beckett looked away from him to the door, pensive. "I won't say a word; I'll let you handle it. Just… let me have your back in there. Alright?"

At that, the detective looked back at him, her eyes hard. "Not a word?" she questioned.

"Not a word," Castle promised. Beckett let out a small breath before nodding. She then turned and slowly opened the door.

"Chloe?" she called out. "Chloe, it's Detective Beckett. Do you remember me?"

"Please, just go away," Chloe replied in an almost monotonous voice, holding the knife to her thigh. Beckett entered the room at that, her gun out but pointed down. Castle entered behind her, automatically assessing the situation before him.

"I can't do that," Beckett countered, taking slow steps towards Chloe. The young girl moved suddenly, making Castle tense up for action, but all she did was dig the knife into her thigh, drawing blood. Beckett swallowed at that, but continued to talk to the girl. "Look… you're hurt. Why don't you put the knife down and let me help you?"

Chloe let out a crazed sob. "Why don't you just shoot me?" she pleaded.

"Hey! Look at me!" Beckett demanded. "Look." Slowly, Chloe turned her gaze to the detective, not moving the knife. When she saw that she had the girl's attention, Beckett moved the gun aside in a surrendering manner. "No one's going to shoot anyone." Castle wasn't sure if he was impressed or disappointed when he saw Beckett place the gun on the floor.

"He was sleeping with Sarah," Chloe finally said.

"I know," Beckett whispered.

"Only the whole time, he was sleeping with  _me._  Telling me… that he  _loved. Me._  He would say that… that he was going to leave his wife… for  _me._ "

"Guys can be like that sometimes, Chloe," Beckett responded. "They can lie. And I know, when you find out, how much it can break your heart."

"I'm pregnant," Chloe suddenly said, surprising both Beckett and Castle.

"That's even more reason for us to get you some help," Beckett continued. "Right?"

Chloe looked at Beckett, tears clouding her vision as she shook. "I just wanted to talk to her," she began to explain. "That's all. I just… wanted to tell her that Ian and I were in love."

"What happened to Sarah was an accident Chloe," Beckett acknowledged. "I know that… I know you didn't mean to kill her."

"Sarah was my friend!" Chloe went on. "But she didn't get it!" Castle took a step closer to Beckett; Chloe was becoming more and more unstable. She was beginning to brandish the knife, and her breaths were getting quicker. "So when she turned around, I just grabbed the bleach, and I… I hit her with it!" Chloe let out a sob. "And… she fell. I… I was so scared, I didn't– I didn't know what to do! I ju – I put her in the dryer." She looked at Beckett. "I was just so angry! I was so mad!"

"Chloe, put the knife down and let me help you," Beckett urged. Castle looked from Beckett, to Chloe, then back to Beckett. "Put the knife down."

"I'm so stupid," Chloe cried softly, before dropping the knife. Beckett moved to handcuff her, and Castle let out a sigh of relief. Crisis averted.

* * *

Castle walked out of the Cave into his office, coming home early from patrol to get some writing done.

"Dad?" Castle looked over at the door of the study, seeing Alexis walk in half-asleep. "You just get back?"

"Yea," Castle replied softly, wrapping an arm around her as she neared him.

"I saw the files on the NYPD database," Alexis murmured. "You got the guy. Was it who you thought it would be?"

"Actually, it wasn't," Castle admitted.

"Wow," Alexis said, now wide awake. "It must have been a pretty good story to surprise  _you_." Castle chuckled at this. "You better be careful," Alexis continued, "or else you'll lose your 'world's greatest detective' status."

"Woah, hey," Castle warned, a small grin on his face. "You just ruined it." Alexis laughed.

"You know Dad… It's ok to be surprised sometimes," she said. "That's the fun." Castle smiled up at her.

"You surprise me," he stated. "All the time."

Alexis smiled at him before kissing his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night pumpkin."

"And Dad?" Alexis said, pausing at the door. "Thanks for being my nanny."

Castle nodded. "No sweat kiddo." As Alexis walked out of the study towards her room, Castle looked at the picture he had on his desk, of himself and a three-year-old Alexis in the park. He reminded himself why he did what he did. Why he became the Batman, and why he fought the criminal underground. It was for Alexis; to make sure she could live and grow up in a safe world.

It was all for Alexis.


	3. Hell Hath No Fury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

"This wasn't a robbery," Castle and Beckett said simultaneously. They exchanged looks of surprise, while Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie all looked amused. The five of them were currently at the make-shift crime scene for their newest case: a John Doe, shot at close range, wrapped up in a rug and then thrown in a dumpster.

"I rob someone, I'm not going to stick around to wrap them up," Castle commented as he took a few steps back from the body, breaking eye contact with Beckett. As the team continued discussing details they could observe for now, Castle took out his phone and discretely snapped a few photos of the scene and the body. He sent the photos to the Batcomputer, planning to observe them later that night.

"Lanie, see what you can do about an ID," Beckett finally said, moving to leave.

"Don't bother," Castle countered as the body was moved into a body bag, giving him a clearer view of the man's face. "I know who he is."

When he first started as the Batman, he made a point of investigating and observing all of the city's politicians and police force out of a need to know who the Batman could trust and who was corrupt. Even now, he looked into Manhattan's politicians as they made their debuts and proposed new policies.

As for this politician in particular… well, he was one of the good guys.

* * *

**WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS**

* * *

" _Jeff Horn. 48. Two term city council member."_

* * *

" _Jeff believed that it was a politician's obligation to get the people's work done," Mrs. Horn commented. "He was a good man. He was a good father." Her voice broke as she continued. "And every day, he would go out there and try to make this city a better place! Every day!"_

* * *

"Hey," Alexis greeted, walking into the study. Castle smiled up at her.

"Hey. Finished your homework?" he asked. When Alexis nodded, he added, "Do you want to finish mine?"

"Well, that depends," she teased. "How much would you be willing to pay me?"

"Oh, I taught you well," Castle chuckled.

"Gina called," Alexis informed, "and asked me to remind you about the reading and book signing for tomorrow night."

"That was nice of her," Castle commented noncommittally. "But what sounds worse; dodging bullets from criminals and mad men,  _or_  reading to a crowd ' _prose so bad it sent me screaming into the snow._ '"

Alexis shook her head and walked to stand next to her dad. "If you really want to feel sorry for yourself, you should read the review on The Ledger," she countered, bringing the article up on Castle's laptop.

"Last time they wrote an article on me, they referred to the Batman as a ' _psychopathic, destructive menace with suicidal tendencies,_ '" Castle groaned. "What are they saying about me now?"

Alexis smiled as she read, "Richard Castle's stirring finale reminds us what good pulp fiction is all about. It makes us desire a world of startling imperfection, so we can rise above and become the heroes we always imagined ourselves to be." She looked at her dad. "I'm proud of you Dad."

Castle cocked his head. "For what? This isn't my first book, kiddo."

Alexis laughed. "I'm proud of you because of what you do," she explained. "When you put on that mask, you become a symbol to this city. For people to do better, to be better. And when people read your books, it makes them want to be heroes. Heroes like you." She kissed his cheek, smiling at him. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"Kay," Castle agreed, too stunned to say much else. Alexis grinned and opened the entrance to the lair. Before she began her descent down the stairs, Castle called after her. "Hey, if you were in a lot of trouble, and you needed a quarter of a million dollars, where would you get it?"

Alexis looked back at him and shrugged. "I'd just ask you."

* * *

" _Horn wasn't wealthy, but his wife came from money. She tapped into her family trust to finance his first campaign. What if she knew about the affair? What if he got the blackmail money from her?"_

* * *

" _We found the money in your house," Beckett informed Mrs. Horn. "Conspiracy to commit murder is the same as murder… Are you ready to deal?"_

" _It's not supposed to be like this," Mrs. Horn stated. "We were friends. And we were going to change the world."_

* * *

" _Frank Nesbitt, you are under arrest for the murder of Jeff Horn."_

" _Stop running, bro," Ryan snarked, stopping Nesbitt in his tracks. "Campaign's over."_

* * *

"After we found the weapon in Nesbitt's office, he made a full confession," Beckett began, walking with Montgomery and Castle in the precinct. "He got Horn to call her husband to get him down to the overpass, and then he took care of the rest.

"Politics was Nesbitt's life," Castle added. "He figured if the scandal broke, his career would be over and he'd be damaged goods."

"Sad thing is, he was probably right," Montgomery agreed. "So what's going to happen to the girls?"

"Horn had a sister upstate," Beckett informed. "She's coming down to pick them up from Social Services."

"Good. And the rug?"

"A red herring," Castle answered. "Nesbitt heard they were dumping a bunch of them; he figured it would keep us off his trail."

Montgomery nodded, a small smile on his face. "Nice work. Very impressive," he complimented, walking past them. "Oh, and uh, you too Beckett," he added, wiping the smile right off of Beckett's face. Castle laughed while Beckett looked outraged.

"Sir?!" she called out indignantly.

Montgomery laughed, "Just yanking your chain, Detective! Just yanking your chain." Beckett spun to glare at Castle just as his phone rang. He stopped laughing, a smile still on his face as he answered.

"Hello?"

" _Dad, where are you?"_

"Where am I supposed to be?" Castle wondered.

" _Have you seen the news?!"_ Alexis exclaimed.  _"Zsasz has hostages in Times Square!"_

Castle's eyes widened. "Stall for me," he said, only to keep Beckett from being suspicious. "I'm on my way!" He hung up and ran out of the precinct, almost running into an officer in his hurry. "Sorry!" he called out, not stopping.

As he ran off, Beckett shook her head, watching him go. Richard Castle was certainly something else.

It was only about twenty minutes later that Ryan was turning the volume up on the precinct's TV, showing a news report of the situation in Times Square. "What's going on?" Montgomery asked.

"Victor Zsasz took hostages in Times Square," Ryan explained, "and the Batman's apparently at the scene already."

Esposito rolled his eyes. "Bro, don't you start," he warned. "Don't you even  _think_ about–"

"Hey, Beckett, you met the Batman once, right?" Ryan asked, completely ignoring Esposito. Beckett and Montgomery exchanged a look, both recalling that encounter. "What was he like?"

Thinking back to the night from three years ago, Beckett recalled being drugged by Johnathan Crane, aka Scarecrow. Thanks to the hallucinogen, Beckett didn't really remember all that much about the caped crusader.

" _Just hold on!" he told her, trying his best to keep her alive._

"Black," Beckett finally said. "Lots of black."

As she walked away, Ryan frowned at her answer. Next to him, Esposito shook his head. "Bro, I forbid you from  _ever_  talking to Castle about Batman."

"Why?" the Irish cop demanded, almost insulted.

"Because the two of you will never shut up!"

As the two detectives bickered, Montgomery rolled his eyes good-naturedly and walked away. He passed his office though, and instead went up the stairs to the rooftop. The night air was crisp, and the sky was dark. Smiling to himself, he flipped on the Batlight.

He just liked to remind people that the Batman was out there.

* * *

After the Batman personally escorted Zsasz back to Arkham, he went back home. Castle closed the Batcave's entrance, letting out a tired sigh. It was only then that he remembered… he missed the reading and book signing.

Gina was going to kill him.


	4. Hedge Fund Homeboys

"You're reading the paper?" Castle asked his daughter as he walked into the kitchen. "You are going to lose your digital-techy-superhacker status!"

"I'm a rebel," Alexis played along. "I kick it old-school." At the look Castle shot her, she gave in. "I'm updating the batcomputer's software, so I'm stuck offline for the next 10 hours."

"Updating? Why, what's wrong with it?" Castle asked in concern. Alexis shook her head.

"There's nothing wrong with it, persay… I'm just making sure we have the best equipment possible. With this, we'll be able to access satellite imaging in half the time, we'll have unlimited access to the National Criminal Database, I can access agency databases without any risk of getting caught, and–"

"What agency are you taking this software from?" Castle interrupted, catching Alexis off guard. When she smiled nervously, Castle frowned. "Alexis…"

"The NSA," she admitted, making Castle's eyes widened, a choking sound escaping his throat. "I was careful!" she assured. "I altered the IP address, used cell towers across the continent,  _and_  I erased the data that would show that anyone had ever been in their system."

"Alexis, you can't hack the NSA!" Castle countered. "That's too much of a risk!"

"But I–"

"Alexis, listen to me," Castle tried again. "What I do… it isn't exactly legal. And if I get caught, then I get caught. But you getting caught is  _not_  an option. You need to be careful, ok?" The redhead sighed before nodding. "Remind me again how you learned to do all this hacking stuff?" Castle asked.

At this, Alexis grinned proudly. "Self-taught."

Castle let out an impressed chuckle as he moved to the coffee machine. "Is this…?"

"Cream, two sugars," Alexis confirmed.

"Thanks," Castle replied, taking a sip. "So, what's going on in the world?" Alexis turned the paper around for him to see; there was picture of a dirty-blonde haired man in a suit.

"Oliver Queen is alive," she stated. "He's been stranded on an island for the past five years."

Castle blinked in surprise. "And he survived? Huh… didn't expect that from him."

"Why?" Alexis wondered.

The writer paused, considering his words. "Oliver Queen… he was a young billionaire who partied too much." He looked at the picture of the Queen heir. "How did he survive?" he mused to himself.

"Oh Dad, before I forget," Alexis stated, interrupting his train of thought. "Julie's dad is back in rehab, so there's a chaperone spot open for the DC trip."

Castle looked at her curiously. "How did you know Julie's dad was back in rehab?"

"Must be a digital-techy-superhacker thing," Alexis joked. "So what do you say?"

"Sorry kiddo," Castle said apologetically, "but with you away, my chaperoning needs reside here; both the house and the city." Alexis nodded slowly at this. "Remember what happened last time we left her alone?"

"So she had a little party," Alexis shrugged.

"There were glass shards embedded in the walls!" Castle argued.

"It was Cinco de Mayo!" Martha exclaimed, walking in the room.

"Exactly!" Alexis agreed.

"Okay, what about this city's criminals, who don't understand the concept of a vacation?" Castle said. "Last time I left, Killer Croc escaped Arkham and almost destroyed the Financial District."

Alexis opened her mouth to argue, but then shut it closed when she recalled the destruction the humanoid-crocodile caused. "I see your point," she conceded just as Castle's phone rang.

"I hear dead people," he joked, making Alexis smile as he picked up the phone. "Who was murdered, and was it gruesome?"

* * *

**WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS**

* * *

" _One victim. Donny Kendell. 18."_

* * *

" _Donny started dealing drugs in the park."_

* * *

"Shouldn't she be putting him on his heels? Go straight for the shooting?" Castle wondered, thinking about his own interrogations as Batman. When he found a killer, thief, rapist, or any other kind of criminal, he didn't beat around the bush. He got straight to the point, and it usually worked out for him.

"It's not about putting him on his heels," Montgomery explained. "It's about building a case for the DA."

Castle nodded in understanding before thinking about something. "Then, how does it work with the Batman?" he asked. Montgomery didn't say anything at first, choosing to instead stare at Castle. "I mean, I thought he just dropped criminals off to the NYPD; how do any of them get charged?" In reality, Castle knew the answer to that. What he was hoping to accomplish right now was to enforce his too-curious-for-his-own-good writer persona in front of the Captain.

"Castle, listen to me," Montgomery began saying, "you're free to go around the precinct, to show up at crime scenes, and follow Detective Beckett around for your research. But the Batman? The Batman is off-limits."

"But–"

"I mean it, Castle," Montgomery interrupted. "I need to know that you are never going to try to get involved with the Batman, or I'll call the Commissioner and have you banned from this precinct. What he does isn't a game. The last thing he needs is a civilian messing around and putting him at risk."

Castle blinked in surprise. He had no idea that the Captain felt so protective of the Batman. He simply nodded, not saying a word, and the two went back to watching Beckett's interrogation.

" _You're telling me that you saw Donny and his friends last night?"_ Beckett asked. The drug dealer nodded.

" _Yeah."_

"And now we have some witnesses," Montgomery commented.

"Witnesses that lied," Castle half-agreed.

* * *

" _You were all with Donny when he got shot, weren't you?"_

" _We're all just hanging out, having a good time. And this guy comes over with this gun, and he starts saying 'Where's my money? I need my freaking money!'" Brandon stated._

" _Donny owed him $200–"_

"– _and he didn't have it–"_

"– _then the guy pointed the gun–"_

"– _and there was this loud pop, and you just see Donny's body crumble."_

* * *

"Do you do drugs?" Castle asked his daughter later that night, when they were about to leave the Batcave. Alexis stopped walking, turning to look at him with a confused smile on her face.

"No," she responded.

"Are you sure?" Castle asked gently, almost uncertain. "Because you can tell me."

"Dad, am I lethargic and uncharacteristically irritable?" Alexis questioned in response.

"No…"

"Are my eyes bloodshot for no apparent reason?" she continued.

"No, except when you're sick," Castle answered.

"That's an apparent reason," Alexis corrected.

"Right."

Smiling, Alexis continued. "Are my grades plummeting?"

"No, if anything they've been getting better," Castle replied.

"According to New York City's Guidelines for parents and teachers, it's a pretty safe bet I'm clean," Alexis assured. Castle hmm'ed in response, nodding.

"You make an excellent case," he conceded.

"Does this have something to do with the case you're working on with Detective Beckett?" Alexis wondered. Castle's frown said it all, making Alexis shake her head. "Dad, he was in Central Park in the middle of the night. That's something I would never do. Not unless I was kicking criminal butt with you."

"Ah, that's not funny," Castle countered. "We had a deal, remember?"

"Dad, I know," Alexis laughed. "What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to worry about me. Besides, if I ever do get into any real trouble, my friends would be there to bail me out."

At that, Castle paused, sudden realization dawning on him. "Because that's what friends do."

* * *

" _Why didn't Donny's friends just give him the money?" Castle reasoned. "One of them killed him."_

* * *

" _I didn't sell to them," the drug dealer insisted. "He was working for me."_

* * *

"The violent drug dealer's story makes more sense than the story these kids are telling," Beckett told Montgomery.

"Plus, and I know I'm new here," Castle agreed, "but… aren't you supposed to arrest the right guy?"

Montgomery sighed. "Fine. Talk to the girl again."

The captain watched the two leave his office, and then head for the elevators. When Castle and Beckett were gone, Montgomery's gaze shifted to the bullpen. Detectives and officers alike were moving in a flurry, everyone working and doing their jobs. As for how well they were doing their jobs was another matter entirely.

Montgomery's partnership with the Batman gave him a reputation, one that ensured that a cop either loved him or hated him. There was no in-between. Because of where the captain stood in legal and moral matters, his precinct tended to follow his steps. It was safe to say that the Twelfth was the least corrupt precinct the NYPD had to offer.

That being said, Montgomery knew that there were some dirty cops in his precinct. It was unavoidable; while he and the Batman, along with Dent, had managed to clean the city up to some degree, there was still a strain of corruption they were fighting to eliminate.

Sitting in his chair, Montgomery looked at Ryan and Esposito, both working on the case. Smiling to himself, Montgomery knew that there were three people in this precinct he could trust without a doubt. Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito were his go-to people; with Castle following them around now, and helping them solve cases, the team looked like it was only going to get stronger.

A writer and a vigilante. Montgomery chuckled; his precinct got help from the most unlikely people.

* * *

" _There wasn't a guy, was there?" Beckett asked Romi. "What really happened?"_

" _It was an accident. We were playing a game, like Russian Roulette."_

" _Who shot Donny?"_

" _Max. It was Max."_

* * *

" _Max killed himself."_

* * *

" _He went back and moved his friend's body… That's more the act of a cold-blooded killer."_

" _A cold-blooded killer doesn't suddenly feel guilty enough to commit suicide."_

" _Not in any story I'd write."_

* * *

" _You think one of the other kids put the bullet in the gun without Max knowing."_

" _And that's our killer."_

* * *

"Brandon was smart to keep the tape," Beckett commented after she and Castle met with the kid. "Otherwise, they'd all be facing a manslaughter charge."

Castle paused. "Yeah…" he agreed slowly. "That was pretty smart when you think about it, wasn't it…"

Beckett shot him a look. "I know that tone, Castle."

"I'm just saying, it's pretty lucky for them that they filmed their little game that night," Castle mused. "I get filming it the first few times. It's excited. But the tenth? The fifteenth? What was so special about that night?"

"Donny got shot," Beckett answered, starting to see where Castle was going with this.

"So the only reason to film it is…?"

"You knew something was going to happen."

* * *

" _Brandon told you to shoot the video that night, didn't he?" Castle asked Amanda._

" _Yeah."_

* * *

" _If you think I did it, let's see you prove it," Brandon challenged._

" _I hate that kid," Castle whispered._

* * *

"Why would I kill Donny?" Brandon asked, sitting in the interrogation room across from Castle and Beckett.

"Amanda," Castle answered.

"Amanda is with me," Brandon countered.

"Yeah… only after Donny lost all of his money," Castle replied.

"Which makes you sloppy seconds," Beckett added.

"Arranging Donny's murder was very well done," Castle acknowledged. "Fooling Spencer, Romi, and Amanda wasn't too hard. They didn't handle the gun. But Max was another story. He actually pulled the trigger, and he just couldn't let it go. Could he? Then he remembered," Castle went on, "you gave him the gun. So he called you and asked to meet you."

At this point, Beckett's eyes were flickering back and forth between Castle and Brandon. "We have a record of the call," she interjected, adding evidence to support Castle's story.

"You knew something was up, so you brought the gun and, what? Vodka? Or was Max a scotch guy?" Castle began. "He knew all about you and Donny and Amanda; he had to wonder… 'Did you set me up to kill my best friend?'" Beckett remained silent, watching with interest as Castle spoke to Brandon.

"And when he realized you had… he wasn't going to keep it quiet. Was he?" Castle asked. "Even with you telling him that you'd all go to jail. If only Max had been strong enough, just to  _man up_ … If only Donny realized that  _he didn't belong_  with you guys anymore; that he and Amanda were through. Then none of this would have been necessary. Weak people just don't get it, do they Brandon?" Castle continued lowly, his voice understanding and agreeable, maybe even a bit frustrated. "Sometimes, they have to be led to the truth."

"Exactly," Brandon whispered.

"Did he just say 'exactly?' Because I could've just sworn he said 'exactly,'" Castle stated, imitating Brandon's whispered confession.

"Yup, I heard it too," Beckett agreed.

Donny's eyes widened. "You tricked me," he realized. "Wait, you tricked me!"

"It's called admission against interest," Beckett explained.

"Just a fancy term for confession," Castle added.

"And you want to know what the funny thing is? You must have thought you were pretty clever; moving Donny's body," Beckett told Brandon. "Only if you hadn't? We would never have figured it out."

"Well,  _she_  would have never figured it out," Castle corrected.

"Oh, like you would have figured it out," Beckett retorted.

"I definitely would have figured it out," Castle assured. A knowing gleam lit up his eyes as he leaned forward, smiling. "You  _are_  looking at the world's greatest detective right now, Beckett."

"Really?" Beckett challenged. "Because I'm pretty sure I'm not looking at a mirror."

Brandon could only roll his eyes at this.

* * *

"Let's go! I don't want to be late," Castle stated as a greeting. Alexis looked at him.

"You're coming?" she asked, her voice tinted with disbelieving hope.

"You're looking at the official replacement chaperone," the writer answered, holding his arms out. The excited squeal that escaped his daughter's lips as she hugged him made him chuckle. She stilled all of the sudden, and Castle looked down at her in concern.

"Wait… what about the city?" Alexis asked. "I mean, if Batman's gone…"

"I called Selina," Castle answered with a reassuring grin. "She's gonna keep an eye on the place while we're gone." Alexis raised an eyebrow at this.

"You trust her not to steal anything while you're gone?"

"I trust her not to steal anything that I'll  _have_  to arrest her for," Castle admitted, making Alexis laugh.

"I just realized that I have some business to take care of in DC anyway," Castle said as he and Alexis walked down the stairs to the door. His daughter gave him a curious look. "I need to pick a place for my monument, just in case," Castle explained.

"I don't think you're getting a better spot than Washington or Lincoln," Alexis teased.

"It's not for me; it's for Batman," Castle said. "I'm sure they can move at least Jefferson."

"Of course," Alexis laughed.

"Oh, my two travelers!" Martha exclaimed when they reached the door. She gave them both goodbye hugs and kisses, practically pushing them to leave. "Farewell, bon voyage! You better hurry; you don't want to miss all of the fun!"

It was at that moment that the doorbell rang, making Martha's smile fall. Castle shot Martha a knowing look. "Miss any of  _your_  fun, you mean?" he questioned. He opened the door and a wave of people rushed into the apartment. Alexis grimaced at the sight while Castle looked at Martha in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Come on Dad," Alexis insisted, pulling her father's hand.

"But she–"

" _Let's go._ " Alexis pushed Castle out of the apartment before looking at Martha. "Just seal the Cave, ok?" she pleaded.

"Already done," Martha assured with a smile, closing the door.

Castle stood there, still in disbelief and annoyance. Alexis fought back a smile at the sight. "Come on Dad," she said again, pulling him down the hall and away from the apartment, where they could already hear the sounds of a party.

* * *

That night, Castle sat in his hotel room, watching the news; what he saw made him very concerned.

" _This is why we can't tolerate vigilantes!"_  Jack Ryder exclaimed.  _"This hooded vigilante in Starling City killed a bunch of guys and siphoned money off another guy. Since no one knows who he is, he can't be held accountable."_

" _But I think it's safe to say that there are two types of vigilantes,"_  Vicki Vale argued.  _"Consider the Batman. He's never killed. Has he broken some laws? Yes. But the outcome of his actions has been good for Manhattan."_

" _And if he ever crosses that line?"_  Ryder proposed.  _"It isn't an impossibility that one day the Batman will kill someone who gets in his way."_

" _He's not like that–"_

" _You don't know that because you don't know him. Nobody knows him. And that's my point,"_ Ryder commented.  _"No one knows who the Batman is. No one knows who the Hood guy is. That's what makes them dangerous."_

Castle clicked the TV off. While he may have supported the Blur way back when, that superhero dropped off the grid a few years ago. These days, Castle didn't like the idea of an unknown vigilante running around; he liked it even less now, considering that this guy was killing people.

Starling City wasn't too far away from New York, but he couldn't just up and leave. Not yet, at least. Castle would keep a close eye out for any news on this archer vigilante. If he continued killing, he'd make the trip to Starling. If he showed up in New York, though…

Then the Batman was going to unmask him and send him straight to Blackgate.


	5. A Chill Goes Through Her Veins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

Sitting in the Batcave, Alexis typed furiously, her eyes scanning the computer screens as she did. "Dad, the truck is moving east on 23rd. From there, they'll have a straight shot to the pier. You have to pick it up!"

" _New York traffic isn't exactly chase friendly,"_ came the gravelly toned response.

"If you go through Union Square and Stuyvesant, you'll reach FDR and can intercept them," Alexis offered. "It'll be cutting it close, but–"

" _But it's the only option. Scarecrow can't get on that ship with those drugs."_

"Okay, I'll–" Alexis stopped talking when she heard the ringing of a cellphone. Looking around, she saw her dad's cell phone on the work bench, lit up and ringing. Her eyes widened. "Dad, your phone is ringing."

" _Ok? Let it go to voicemail."_

"Dad, it's Detective Beckett!" Alexis hissed into the microphone.

In the Batmobile driving through Union Square heading east, Batman tensed in his seat. Beckett never called him this late at night, which had always worked out for him. He could ignore the call, but then Beckett would be extremely suspicious. Given that Castle was always eager and ready to show up at a crime scene, he couldn't suddenly not show up. "Patch the call through," he asked Alexis.

There was silence, then Alexis replied, " _What?"_

"Connect the call with Beckett to the cowl, I need to answer."

In the Batcave, Alexis shook her head. "Your funeral," she muttered, fingers flying across the keyboard as she worked to patch the call through. "Remember to turn off your voice disguiser!" she warned at the last minute before finally sending the call to Batman.

"Hello?" Castle responded, his voice sounding normal.

" _Castle, it's Beckett. There's a body over in Gramercy."_ Under the mask, Castle nodded in appreciation. He would be near Gramercy after busting Crane. " _I know that it's the middle of the night, so if you want to sit this one out–"_

"No, no, no!" Castle interrupted. "I can make it." He bit back a curse as the tumbler slammed into the side of a building.

In her apartment, Beckett frowned at the crashing sound. "Are you ok?" she wondered.

" _Yeah!"_ Castle answered, very quickly. " _I, uh, just knocked some stuff over."_ There was a loud siren sound now, making Beckett wince. " _So if you could text me the address and I'll meet you there."_

"Castle–"

" _Bye."_

The call ended, and Beckett stared at the phone for a few minutes. Finally, she shrugged . Castle was a handful; why was she the one who had to deal with him?

About an hour later, Beckett arrived at the crime scene, Esposito being the one to greet her. "Why can't they find bodies between 9 and 5?" he grumbled, handing her a coffee.

"Well, early bird gets the collar," Beckett responded, making Esposito chuckle in agreement. "Where are all the uniforms?" she wondered, looking around at the fairly empty crime scene. Esposito grinned.

"Apparently, the Batman busted Scarecrow not too far from here," he explained, not noticing the way Beckett tensed at the mention of the villain. "Since we were the closest to them, dispatch sent our uniforms on over to take care of it." Beckett nodded.

"Was Crane involved in this murder?" She was relieved when Esposito shook his head, but she had barely taken a sip of her coffee when she saw Castle walking towards them… from the crime scene. Seeing what had Beckett so shocked and annoyed, Esposito laughed again.

"He was here before I was," Esposito informed her.

"Finally! You're here!" Castle greeted, excited and energetic. "You are going to love this."

Beckett shot Esposito a concerned look. How did this man have so much energy at this ungodly hour?

"My first cold case," Castle quipped, making Beckett, Ryan and Esposito glare at him. "What? It's kinda funny!" In reality, he usually wouldn't make that kind of joke until later on in the case, but the five expressos he drank after capturing Scarecrow had him practically jumping in place.

"It's not as funny as it is true," Lanie commented from her perch next to the body. "She's frozen solid."

"What can you tell me?" Beckett wondered.

"There's pieces of plastic on her body, from a garment bag," Lanie responded. "She didn't die from exposure, and she was frozen before being placed here. She hasn't been here long; maybe a couple of hours. Other than that, it's going to take a while for her to thaw."

"It's kind of odd; taking the effort to freeze a body, and then dumping it," Castle mused. He looked at Beckett. "We have two personality types working here. A killer who freezes a body is a keeper; he wants a souvenir. A guy who dumps a body–"

"Doesn't want to be reminded of the crime," Beckett finished, agreeing with Castle. "Get a close up of her face; I want to run her through Missing Persons."

"Oh, you're going to run her through the Facial Recognition Database?" Castle questioned. He missed Beckett's smirk.

"Yeah," she said. "Just like that."

* * *

In the precinct, Castle was appalled when Beckett dropped the tall stack of files in front of him. "Welcome to the Official Facial Recognition Database," she teased. Castle looked at all files that Ryan and Esposito were placing on the table and frowned even more.

"By  _hand_?" he asked. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Welcome to the real world bro," Esposito replied. "Unless you got an app on that phone of yours?"

Castle rolled his eyes, sending Esposito a mocking laugh. "You're not funny."

"People disappear all the time," Beckett interjected as they started looking through the files. "They vanish into thin air."

As the detectives exchanged stories they heard about different Missing Persons cases, he took the photo of the victim. Discretely, he snapped a photo of the Jane Doe's picture, sending it to the Batcomputer to run facial recognition. He may not have an app on his phone, as Esposito teased, but he did have a state-of-the-art computer. The results came back rather quickly, and Castle sent an anonymous tip to the ME's office.

"What about you, Castle?" Ryan asked. "Any ideas about our Jane Doe?"

"No, don't encourage him!" Beckett groaned. Castle grinned in delight.

"Well, I don't know how it starts, but I know how it ends. With her frozen, at a construction site. So, we work backwards," he proposed. "How did she get there?"

"Considering she was frozen, she'd have to be kept pretty close to the site," Esposito stated.

"Not as close as you'd think," Castle countered. "It takes a while for a body to thaw."

"And you know that how? Do you freeze bodies as research for your books?" Ryan teased.

"No, I cook Thanksgiving dinner," Castle shot back. "And let me tell you, a turkey? Takes  _all night_  to defrost."

"She's a person, Castle," Beckett scoffed. "Not a turkey."

"Just making a point."

Beckett's phone beeped. Reading the text, she blinked in surprise. "Lanie's got an ID," she announced, standing up. Castle followed her out the room.

"You two can handle this, right?" he asked, motioning to the files. He didn't stick around to hear their response. Esposito stood up.

"Ryan, you got this, right? Thanks."

Ryan's mouth dropped open as Esposito walked out leaving him alone with the files. He let out a groan before standing as well. He went to the door. "Hey, Blake," he called out. The rookie officer turned. "Come help me with these files."

* * *

"Melanie Cavanaugh. 24," Lanie stated as Castle and Beckett walked into the morgue. "Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the back of her head."

"How'd you get an ID?" Beckett wondered.

"That's the interesting part," Lanie answered. "It was an anonymous tip, via email. Sent me her Missing Persons' case file." Beckett raised an eyebrow.

"An anonymous tip?" she questioned. "Do you mean from…?"

Lanie nodded. "Mmhmm."

Castle looked between them. "From who?" he wondered, having the curious writer part down pat. "Who sent it? I thought Lanie said anonymous, and-"

Rolling her eyes, Beckett put a hand over Castle's mouth, effectively shutting him up. She briefly wondered what would be worse: not answering Castle and have him pester her, or tell him who the anonymous tip was most likely from and deal with his childish excitement. Deciding to try to distract the writer, Beckett looked back at Lanie. "Do you know time death?"

With an understanding, and half-appreciative, look, Lanie motioned to the body.

"She was frozen within 24 hours of being killed," Lanie explained. Castle and Beckett both looked from Melanie to Lanie, Beckett's hand still over Castle's mouth. A grim look came onto Lanie's face. "But Beckett... she's been missing for over five years."

* * *

_**WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS** _

* * *

" _She had a troubled childhood. Drugs in her teens and twenties."_

" _Mmhmm."_

" _How do you know?"_

" _I read the casefile… Her husband waited a day before reporting her missing."_

" _There's no evidence of foul play, so the detective just closed the case."_

* * *

" _Our records indicate that Samuel Cavanaugh lives here?"_

" _If you're looking for the guy who lived here before me, that's too bad. He was murdered."_

* * *

" _Samuel Cavanaugh. Shot outside a grocery store."_

" _It could be connected."_

" _The kids are living with Melanie's parents now."_

* * *

" _The time to ask these questions was five years ago," Ben Davidson, Melanie's father exclaimed. "Except the detective then, didn't want to ask them."_

* * *

"I hate cops like him," Beckett hissed after their meeting with former-Detective, now-Sheriff Sloane. Castle looked at her as she continued. "Guys like him; things only make sense if they fit in a box, so they make it fit, and murderers go free."

Castle hesitated, unsure if he should bring it up. Looking at Beckett's watch, the thing that had tipped him off back on their first case, he asked, "Is that what happened to your dad?"

"My dad?" Beckett questioned in return, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"I noticed your watch," Castle admitted, shifting his gaze from the watch to Beckett's eyes. "It's your dad's, right? That's why you wear it?"

Beckett didn't have a chance to respond as her phone rang in that moment. Castle remained silent as she answered the phone, his mind going back to his own dad. Long ago, Castle acknowledged that everyone had some motivation for who they were and what (or who) they were fighting for. When it came to Beckett, Castle was convinced that it was her father.

"Ok, thanks Ryan," Beckett said before hanging up. She let out a frustrated sigh; Castle decided to drop the conversation about her father and talk about the case instead.

"Bad news?" he wondered.

"I had Tech try to see if they could trace the sender of that anonymous tip," Beckett explained. At Castle's questioning look, she shrugged. "The NYPD has gotten tips from the same person before."

"I thought you knew who the person was? Which, by the way, is completely contradictory to the idea of being anonymous?" Castle asked, continuing the ignorant act.

"He is anonymous," Beckett acknowledged. Her voice lowered to a frustrated whisper, "Because nobody knows who he is…"

Playing along, Castle perked up. "Come again?" Beckett looked at him in surprise; she didn't think he had heard her. Smirking, she shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Castle."

"Aw, come on Beckett! How am I supposed to help if you don't tell me things?" Castle whined, only making Beckett grin at his supposed misfortune.

"All you need to know is that it's untraceable," Beckett offered. "It's a dead end."

Castle put on a show of grumbling in discontentment in his seat, but inwardly was clapping himself on the back. He helped the case's progress, his secret identity was safe, and Beckett was still buying his act. It was all working out.

* * *

Castle stood in front of the freezer in the loft, leaning his body against the open door. His eyes barely diverted from the freezer's inside even as Alexis walked into the kitchen. "You know we have A/C, right?" she stated, standing next to him.

"I'm just trying to figure out why someone would put a dead body in a freezer," Castle replied.

Alexis' brows furrowed. "Is this a Nikki Heat, Detective Beckett, or Batman question?" she wondered.

"Beckett," Castle answered, not noticing Alexis' knowing grin. "I mean, you put things in the freezer to keep for later. But once they're there, you hardly ever go back for them."

"If I was putting a body in a freezer, it would be because I'm trying to hide it," Alexis offered.

"Until you stop paying for the storage space," Castle countered.

"Did I stop, or did something stop me?" Alexis asked instead. Castle paused, before giving Alexis a proud smile.

"I've taught you well, young Padawan."

* * *

" _Kevin Henson. Melanie's ex-boyfriend. He's serving a year for meth in South Jersey; went in just after the last payment was made on the storage unit."_

" _He stops payments, and the storage guy finds her body."_

" _He was also on the outside when her husband was whacked."_

* * *

" _She found out her husband was having an affair."_

" _If Sam had a lover, would his best friend know about it?"_

" _Elizabeth Forte was her name. She worked with him."_

* * *

" _How long was the affair?"_

" _Not long. Six months… I was scared of Sam… He started to ask me what I would do if his wife wasn't in the picture anymore. When I found out she was missing, I broke things off. He got so angry."_

* * *

Beckett stood in front of the murder board for hours, trying to make pieces fit together, to make sense of it all.

"How'd you do it, Sam?" she wondered to herself, but she was getting nowhere.

* * *

In the loft, Castle was hiding in his study, wearing a vest and goggles that glowed a blue color. Peering through the doorway, he smirked when he saw a shadow making its way down the stairs. Quickly, Alexis, wearing similar gear but with green lights, jumped from the stairs and landed in a crouch, quickly moving behind the grand piano. A thrilled laugh escaped her as she peered past her cover.

"Run rebel," he called out in a sinister voice. "But you'll never defeat the forces of Voltar."

He ran out of the study and towards the kitchen, while Alexis began shooting her laser gun at him. "Death to Voltar! Death to the Voltares!" she shouted, grinning as she did. Castle dropped to the floor, using his momentum to slide the remaining distance to the kitchen island.

"I sense fear in you," Castle taunted.

"Ha! You sense nothing!" Alexis shot back. Castle shot his own laser gun at her as she ran to take cover behind a pillar. When he stopped firing, Alexis took advantage to run towards the kitchen, hoping to catch him before he fired again. When she reached Castle's hiding spot, however, he was gone.

Alexis' eyes narrowed in confusion.  _"Always mind your surroundings,"_  Castle told her time and again, but she couldn't tell where he was. Ducking down, she kept her eyes open, remaining perfectly still and quiet. She listened for any sounds that could hint as to where her dad was… Not in his study. Not here in the kitchen. Then where…?

She heard the sound of his laser gun firing and she ran. Running to the living room, she vaulted over the couch, ducking behind it for cover. She could see him now, hiding behind the pillar she had used for cover before, and fired at him.

"Has anyone seen my purse?" Martha asked, face covered with a facial mask, interrupting the game. Alexis hid behind her, using her as a human shield.

"Mom, we are totally doing battle on the field of honor," Castle explained.

Martha shook her head. "How old are you?"

"Old enough to afford top-of-the-line laser tag," Castle responded without missing a beat. Alexis took advantage of the distraction to move past Martha, and fired her laser gun once. Castle flinched when his gear shut off. "I'm dead! Mom!" he whined as Alexis laughed in victory.

"How is it that the criminal underground fears this man?" Martha wondered, mostly to herself. Alexis giggled while Castle made a face. Before he could argue, the doorbell rang, making the family of three look at the door.

"Did anyone order food?" Castle wondered. At the two negative responses, he frowned. Moving to the door, he checked the feed of his hidden security camera, brows furrowing when he saw it was Detective Beckett standing there. Opening the door, he fired the laser gun, mildly impressed when Beckett didn't even flinch.

"Hi?" she said instead. Castle lowered the laser gun and removed his goggles.

"Hi," he greeted in response. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad, who is it?" Alexis asked, coming to stand beside him.

"Detective Beckett."

"Darling, are we entertaining?" Martha asked, standing at Castle's other side.

"Um…" Castle sent Beckett a confused look. He was relieved to see that she seemed equally as uncertain as he did. The four of them stood there in awkward silence for a few moments, the situation growing more and more painful with each second.

"Dad!" Alexis finally blurted. "Manners?"

"Oh," Castle realized. "Right." With a nervous chuckle, he stepped aside. "Come on in," he offered. Beckett nodded in appreciation. "Welcome to…"

"-our house," Alexis finished for him, smiling up at the detective.

When she stepped past the three of them, Beckett's eyes widened at the sight of the gorgeous loft. "Uh, Beckett," Castle said, making her turn around. "You remember my mother, Martha, and my daughter, Alexis."

"Hi," Alexis greeted, still smiling.

"Yes… Hello," Beckett greeted back, clearly uncomfortable. She looked back at Castle, who was still unsure of what was going on.

"Can I make you a drink?" he offered.

"I need to talk to you," Beckett explained. "About the case."

The two of them entered the study, Castle taking off his laser tag gear as he in stepped in behind her. "Wow," Beckett breathed. "I feel like I'm entering a secret lair."

"It does have its' perks," Castle agreed, reaching into the mini fridge.  _Although it's nothing like the one downstairs,_  he thought to himself. He took out two bottles of water, handing one to Beckett who nodded in appreciation. She noticed the SmartBoard, narrowing her eyes. "That's where I outline my books," Castle commented, suddenly very glad that he kept his novel work and case files in two separate places. Otherwise, he'd have a lot to explain to the detective.

"This looks a lot like our murder board," Beckett noted.

"Yeah, except mine's… fake," Castle commented. When Beckett didn't say anything else, Castle tilted his head. "Beckett, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I can't find it," Beckett admitted.

Castle's brow furrowed. "Find what?"

"The answer."

"The answer is Sam," Castle shrugged. "Sam did it. Everything fits."

"Yeah, but without evidence, it's just a theory!" Beckett countered. "And that family, those kids, they need more than just a theory. They need to know. I need to know."

An understanding came into Castle's eyes, a grin growing on his face. Beckett inwardly groaned, regretting her decision to come here. "So… you came here. To my apartment," Castle observed, a childlike pride in his voice. "You came here for my help."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Well Castle, you  _are_  the multimillionaire crime fighter," she retorted, unwilling to directly admit to it. Startled at her choice of words, Castle choked on his water. Beckett shot him a concerned glance. "Are you ok?"

Castle nodded, sending her a tight smile. "Wrong pipe," he wheezed, turning away from her to cough some more. With his back to her, he forced himself to calm down. Beckett wasn't referring to the Batman, she was referring to him working on murder cases. She didn't know he was the Batman. Clearing his throat, he looked back at her, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Um, right… Well, you have the ending," Castle began, wanting to get far away from the idea of him being a  _multimillionaire crime fighter_ , "so if you want the rest, you need to work backwards. You need to finish the story. You have the ending, you have your killer. You just need to put them both together with the facts at hand."

"The facts?" Beckett questioned.

"Fact… they have two small children. Children who did not have a babysitter," Castle answered. "With him at work, she would've had to have been with the kids when she disappeared."

"But Sam said she left later that night," Beckett added.

"Which the doorman was never able to corroborate," Castle continued, "That means she was killed in the apartment." Beckett's eyes widened in realization. "Next fact; they live in the city."

"So, like most people who live in the city, he didn't own a car," Beckett replied.

"So, what's a good husband to do in Manhattan, with his wife's body? He can't keep it in the apartment," Castle added.

"The only question is… how did he get her body from the apartment to the storage unit?" Beckett wondered. Castle paused; he had a theory on that, but he couldn't be sure just yet.

"You know what helps me?" he stated. "When I'm trying to figure out how one of my characters would do something in my books, I walk the crime scene. Like one time; I was trying to figure out how to through somebody off of the Empire State Building."

"What's your point?" Beckett asked.

"The point, is that if you want to get into a killer's head, go where the killer was," he explained. "And see what problems he had to face." At Beckett's understanding look, he grinned. "Field trip?"

* * *

" _What if the body was already in the freezer when he got it out of the apartment?"_

" _He'd need a truck… a delivery that big, you'd have the sign the ledger."_

" _If you need some help with some heavy lifting, who would you call?"_

" _Your best friend."_

* * *

" _He said it couldn't trace back to him," Wyler, Sam's best friend, said. "That's why we sent the freezer to the old lady. That's why I rented out the storage space. We both knew the cops would look at Sam… Sam couldn't take any chances, so he gave me the cash and I'd go make the payments."_

* * *

" _If you're not investigating a murder, why would you talk to the neighbor about a freezer delivery?"_

" _He came to see me last year sometime… He had grey hair and walked with a limp."_

" _Melanie's dad," Beckett realized._

* * *

"Part of me wants to leave it like this," Castle admitted. "Sam's dead. The captain's happy. Those kids look pretty happy. But I know we can't."

Beckett nodded her agreement. "That's the difference between a novel and the real world," she sighed. "A cop doesn't get to decide how the story ends."

"I know," Castle acknowledged. He looked away from the Davidson's house to Beckett. He nodded once in silent support before Beckett left the car, going to arrest Ben Davidson.

* * *

" _Melanie never left her apartment alive."_

" _Why not just go to the police?"_

" _They didn't have a body at the time, remember?"_

"So you took matters into your own hands," Beckett stated, looking at Melanie's father expectantly.

Ben frowned. "Well, you can certainly understand how a father might want to." Castle looked at him, knowing exactly what he meant.

* * *

"By the way, it was my mother," Beckett said. "Not my father." Castle turned to look at her, surprise etched on his face. "We were going to get dinner; my mom, my dad, and I. She was supposed to meet us at the restaurant, but she never showed. Two hours later, we went home and there was a detective waiting for us. A Detective Raglan." Beckett sighed. "They found her body. She had been stabbed."

"A robbery?" Castle wondered, his voice soft.

"No," Beckett whispered. "She still had her money, her purse, and jewelry. It wasn't sexual assault either. They attributed it gang violence… A random wayward event. So just like in Melanie's case, they couldn't think outside the box." She looked at Castle. "They just tried to package it up nicely, and the killer was never caught."

The two remained silent for a moment, a somber cloud hanging over them. "Why do you wear the watch?" Castle finally asked.

"My dad took it pretty hard," Beckett explained, before a smile came on her face. "He's sober now. Five years. So this," she motioned to the watch, "is for the life that I saved. And this," Castle watched as she pulled a necklace from under her blouse, with a ring hanging from it, "is for the life that I lost." Castle felt a wave of compassion fill him. "So I guess your Nikki Heat has a back story now."

"I don't know," Castle mused. "I did kind of like the hooker by day, cop by night thing." Beckett laughed at that. "But uh… I guess the heavy emotional angle could work too."

"Well, don't bewilder your audiences with substance on my account, Castle," Beckett joked, standing up to leave.

"Until tomorrow, Detective," Castle said.

Beckett stopped mid-step, a questioning look on her face. "You can't just say 'night'?"

"I'm a writer," Castle shrugged with a small smile. "'Night' is boring. 'Until tomorrow' is more… hopeful."

"Yeah, well… I'm a cop," Beckett countered, her face somber and almost resigned. "Night." She turned and walked away, brushing past Esposito on her way out, not knowing that Castle watched her the whole time.

"Night," he whispered.

* * *

Castle followed Esposito down to the cold case files in the precinct's basement, stopping at a certain box. He handed Castle a file, looking him dead in the eyes. "Remember, this never happened," Esposito insisted. "I was never here."

"You have my word," Castle assured.

"If you tell her I did this, I will make you bled," Esposito promised.

Castle smiled.  _You could certainly try…_ "Understood," he said instead.

"Good luck."

When Esposito walked out, Castle looked down at the file. He could see the resemblance between Johanna Beckett and her daughter. With a sad smile, he began copying the file, page by page. While he could never know what had happened to his father, Beckett didn't deserve that. She deserved answers; the truth. Castle hoped that, maybe, he could get her those answers.

* * *

_**Starling City, same time** _

A brunette woman walked into the brightly lit office, dressed in a business suit. "Excuse, Mr. Steele?" she greeted. The kind-looking man glanced up at her.

"Yes?"

"Serena Kaye," she introduced. "I'm with legal. I was told Oliver Queen would be here; he needs to sign a few things." At Walter's confused look, she continued. "Some leftover paperwork concerning the trial and the charges against him. The DA's office forgot to send them over with the original file."

"Ah, of course," Walter agreed. "He and his mother should be here at any moment." He nodded behind her. "There they are now."

She smiled at Walter. "Thank you, Mr. Steele." She walked out of the office, intercepting Oliver. "Mr. Queen, Serena Kaye from Legal. I have a few papers that I need you to sign."

Oliver smiled at her in what looked like confusion, but Selina noticed the way he tensed ever-so-slightly. "Regarding?" he wondered.

"Just some documents the DA's office forgot to give you," was the smooth answer. She smiled gently at him, making Oliver relax. He nodded, taking the pen and signing the documents.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around here before," Oliver said as he handed the items back to her. He had a smooth, playboy smile on his face, eyes studying her figure. She smirked at him.

"No, I guess you haven't," she agreed, a flirtatious lilt to her tone. She nodded once before turning to leave. Oliver smiled to himself as she walked away; she was attractive, mysterious. His smile suddenly dampened. A little too mysterious… He looked back down the hallway, but she was gone. Shrugging, he pushed it out of his mind for now; he was just being paranoid.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, she ripped off her employee ID badge and pulled out a phone. It rang for a few moments before the call was answered. "Rick? It's Selina." She looked at the paper. "I've got it."

_**Five days ago…** _

" _Rick," Selina greeted when she saw who was standing outside of her door. "Nice to see you."_

" _Have you seen the news?" Castle immediately asked. Selina cocked a brow._

" _You're going to have to be more specific, handsome," she informed, walking inside her apartment with Castle following her. "Are we talking about Scarecrow's arrest? The Cavanaugh woman?" She turned her TV on, wearing a smirk on her face. "Or are you referring to the allegations against Oliver Queen?"_

_It was Jack Ryder on the TV screen, saying, "Oliver Queen was arrested today under the suspicion of being the hooded vigilante terrorizing the streets of Starling City."_

_Selina paused the recording, looking back at Castle. "You're not feeling threatened, are you?" she teased._

" _The hooded vigilante is a killer," Castle explained. "He's dangerous. He can't be allowed to run around the city, shooting people with a bow and arrow."_

" _Rick, what makes you even think that Queen is the Hood?" Selina asked in exasperation._

" _Oliver Queen showed up, alive, at the same time that this archer started roaming Starling," Castle began. "It can't be a coincidence."_

" _He was stranded on an island for five years," Selina countered. "You think he took archery classes on the beach?"_

" _All I know is that something doesn't add up," Castle stated._

_Selina sighed, nodding slowly. "What do you need me to do?" she asked._

" _He was under house arrest at the Queen Mansion," Castle began, "and he hosted a party where over one hundred people witnessed his presence. On the other side of town, the hooded vigilante stopped an arms deal."_

" _The two were in different places at the same time," Selina commented._

" _Yes, they were," Castle agreed, making Selina look at him curiously._

" _You think Queen had someone posing as the vigilante?" she wondered._

_Castle nodded. "Everyone sees him at the party, and no one can be in two places at once. If that is what he did, it worked. All the charges against him were dropped." He paused. "I need you to do what you do best."_

" _Steal," Selina realized. "And what is it I'm stealing?"_

" _A sample of his DNA," Castle answered. "I've already got Alexis pulling his fingerprints from the SCPD's database. I need his DNA to run against any future crime scenes associated with the Hood."_

" _Because local police don't run DNA tests in a typical crime scene," Selina nodded. She crossed her arms. "Good plan Rick, but how do you want me to steal a sample of Queen's DNA?"_

_Castle gave her a smile. "Well, you know us wealthy vigilantes," he joked, handing her a small scanner in the shape of a pen. "We do love our toys."_

_**Present day** _

Selina looked down at the scanner-pen, smirking proudly. Mission accomplished.

* * *

_**New York, same time** _

Castle hung up the phone, pausing for a moment. He tapped his fingers, brows furrowed. Oliver Queen didn't appear to be a killer, but if Castle learned anything from Ra's, it was that not everyone was who they appeared to be. Five years on an island was more than enough to change a man... There were two killers out there right now that were on Castle's target list. Johanna Beckett's killer and the Hood; both would be brought to justice. Picking up his copy of Johanna's murder case, Castle began to leave the room.

He had a lot of work to do.


	6. Man of Steel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

"– _not alone. You are not alone. You are not alone. You are not alone."_

" _Citizens of Earth. My name is General Zod. I come from a world far from yours; I have travelled across an ocean of stars to reach you. For some time, your world has sheltered one of my citizens. I request that you return this individual to my custody. For reasons unknown, he has chosen to keep his existence a secret from you. He will have made efforts to blend in; he will look like you. But he is not one of you. To those of you who know of his current location, the fate of your planet rests in your hands. To Kal-El, I say this: Surrender within twenty-four hours… or watch this world suffer the consequences."_

_**THIRTY-SIX HOURS LATER** _

Stepping off of the elevator, Castle saw that the Twelfth precinct had already transformed into a chaotic whirlwind. The phones were ringing nonstop, shouts filled the room as officers and detectives alike were trying to get a handle on the situation; they were well out of their depth, and they knew it. Castle sighed; he himself was probably in over his head on this, but he wouldn't – couldn't – just sit around and do nothing.

_But aliens?_ Castle had silently grumbled multiple times to himself. _They just had to be real, and they just had to have superpowers._

Motioning to the delivery men who had come with him, Castle directed them to the break room before looking around for Beckett. He spotted her walking out of Montgomery's office in that moment, heading towards Ryan and Esposito's desks; she stopped mid-step when she saw him. Castle smiled, walking to her, but her confused expression didn't disappear.

"Castle? What are you doing here?" she wondered. Surprise covered her face when Castle handed her a cup of coffee; the writer handed a cup to Ryan and left another one on Esposito's desk.

"Well, considering that the world almost just ended, I figured you guys would all be working like crazy," Castle explained. "I had some catering done and brought food over for everyone."

Beckett looked over to the break room, where already some officers and detectives were helping themselves to the coffee and sandwiches. Esposito was walking out of the break room, taking a bite out of the BLT he scored.

"Bro, you are the best," he greeted with his mouth full. Ryan, seeing Esposito's sandwich, shot up and rushed to the break room to get his own. Castle smiled at the sight, glad that he had been of some use. Beckett smiled too, looking back at Castle.

"Thank you, Castle," she stated. "Really, this… This was sweet."

Castle shrugged. "It's the least I can do," he assured. "Do you need help with anything else? Phone calls, errands… Paperwork?"

Esposito barked out a laugh. "Paperwork? You?" he asked.

"End of the world, Esposito," Castle replied in a serious tone. "It can change a man." Esposito scoffed in disbelief, rolling his eyes; Beckett's response was similar. Castle's smile simply confirmed their suspicions.

Beckett walked back to her desk, lifting a file. Intrigued, Castle followed her as she began speaking, "These are some statements we received from eyewitnesses. Can you go through them and give me the cliffnotes?" she asked.

Nodding, Castle took the files. "Eyewitnesses?" he questioned.

"Any New York residents who had been in Metropolis during the attack are giving statements to the NYPD to keep on file," Beckett explained. "Whether it's to build a profile on Superman, have the NYPD informed on any future alien threats we might face… I don't know."

Castle smiled reassuringly at Beckett. "Don't worry; I've got this."

"And no taking pictures to show to your writer buddies," Beckett ordered, making Castle whine in protest. She smirked at him, proceeding to sit down at her desk and work on her own assignments. Grumbling, Castle followed suit and sat down at the chair next to her desk.

"So…" he began after a few moments. "Aliens." Beckett tensed, knowing exactly where the writer was going with this. Castle smiled broadly, even though Beckett refused to look at him. "Turns out they do exist." Beckett merely 'hmm'ed in response, confirming what Castle already knew. Beckett had always been a skeptic.

Grinning, Castle busied himself with reading the statements, making sure to absorb every detail he could about what people had to say about Superman.

* * *

Castle sat in the Batcave, working on the computer and going over any footage he could get his hands on of the Battle of Metropolis. All of the footage he had was from social media, so the quality was hardly ideal. He hadn't honestly expected to get anything out of the NYPD to help him with his current task, but Beckett practically served the files on a silver platter. He had read all of the statements Beckett gave him, and it helped. A lot.

Simply put, Castle was trying to study Superman; his powers, his actions, his movements… anything that he could find out about the alien.

Superspeed, superstrength, the ability to  _fly…_ He had no clue what to make of the lasers coming out of the guy's eyes.

A beep from the computer made Castle sigh in frustration. He had taken the clearest image of Superman's face that he could find, and he ran it through facial recognition; the computer hadn't been able to find a match. So he had no idea who Superman was, and he had no idea if the man could be trusted.

"There you are!" Martha greeted, entering the Cave. "Have you been down here long? Alexis and I thought you were still at the precinct." Standing next to his chair, she frowned when she saw the screens. "Still trying to figure out who he is?"

"And what he can do," Castle admitted. He leaned back in the chair, rubbing his face. "It isn't easy. It's funny; a few days ago, my biggest concerns were murderers. Mobsters. People like Scarecrow and Killer Croc," Castle stated. "Now I find out that aliens are actually real and, true to Hollywood, not friendly! Not to mention, practically indestructible. You saw the damage they caused; how am I supposed to fight something like that?"

"Why do you have to fight them? Superman seemed to do a decent job," Martha commented. When Castle remained silent, it hit her. "You don't trust him."

"No, I don't trust the Hood," Castle corrected. "Superman, on the other hand, is a wild card that I can't figure out just yet. He grows up on Earth, fights his own kind to protect the human race… Keeping his origins a secret, I can understand. He wanted to be considered 'normal' and fit in. But what's to say that he's always going to have humanity's best interest at heart?"

"I believe that's called a leap of faith," Martha stated.

"I did have faith," Castle stated. "In the Blur, all those years ago. But then he dropped off the map, and Metropolis suffered for it." At Martha's questioning look, Castle explained, "The Blur was a superfast and superstrong vigilante in Metropolis and nearby towns before I even became Batman. I think the Blur and Superman are one and the same. They have the same powers, minus the flying." His brows furrowed. "I had faith in the Blur, but that was a long time ago… before he brought his genocidal friends here." Castle frowned. "And before he committed murder."

Martha followed his gaze to one of the screens, wincing when she saw it. It was a loop that played the scene of Superman snapping General Zod's neck. Castle leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead.

"He saved that family; I get that. But one good deed doesn't cancel out a bad one," Castle stated. "Killing is killing, and I can't let that go."

Martha frowned. "Richard, I know how strongly you feel about no killing," she began. "But you know that not everything is black and white. Think of it this way; if it were Alexis and I standing there in that corner, wouldn't you do the same thing?"

Startled, Castle turned to his mother, but she was already walking out of the Cave. The thought made Castle pause and think. Would he do that same? He recalled the night that the League of Shadows (which, he had learned since then, was actually the League of  _Assassins_ ) attacked New York; he remembered leaving Ra's al Ghul on the train to die. Frowning, he stood up and began to pace.

Working with Beckett and as the Batman, he saw people who killed because they thought they were owed something. People killed because saw it as their only option. There were a few people he had come across that killed because they honestly believed it was the right thing to do in their given situation.

Looking back at the image of Superman snapping Zod's neck, Castle sighed. Superman showed clear and undeniable remorse at his action. If and when the day came that Batman did meet Superman, Castle hoped that they could find a way to work together. The writer was fully aware of his own limitations, and couldn't deny the fact that Superman would be an incredible ally to have.

Sighing, he shut the computer off, rubbing his eyes and looked at his lair. There wasn't much he could do at this point about Superman; not until he had more information, new leads to go on.

With that in mind, Castle suited up and left the Cave.

* * *

"Captain." Montgomery didn't flinch at the voice, having grown used to the Batman's random and stealthy appearances, and turned towards the vigilante. He left the Batlight on, taking a few steps forward.

"Busy night?" Montgomery wondered.

"Turns out the end of the world only encourages criminals," Batman growled. Montgomery nodded.

"Then I won't keep you for long," he assured. "But I have to ask, because you're the only one whose answer I can trust." Batman paused before nodding, listening. "This Superman fellow… Do you think he can be trusted?" Montgomery asked, oblivious to how Batman's jaw clenched ever-so-slightly. "I mean, if he were to show up tomorrow in Manhattan, do I send my guys after him and call you? Or do I work with him… and call you?"

"What do you think?" Batman asked.

"I think… that I'm way in over my head when it comes to aliens and extra-terrestrials, and I was hoping you could offer some advice," Montgomery admitted.

"He has a lot of power for just one man," Batman began, speaking slowly. He paused, struggling to make up his mind. He looked at Montgomery. "He saved the planet, but it's too soon to know if we can work together."

Montgomery nodded in agreement. "I hope he turns out to be one of the good guys," he admitted. "This world could use more people like the two of you." Batman didn't acknowledge the veiled compliment as he turned and jumped off of the building, disappearing into the night. Montgomery huffed, smiling regardless. "A lot more like you."


	7. Always Buy Retail

"Hey bro," Esposito called out, surprised to still see Ryan at his desk. "I thought you had already headed out."

"Nah, I want to finish up this report tonight," Ryan replied, spinning his chair to look at his partner. "How about you? Heading out?"

Esposito nodded. "But I can wait for you, if you need a lift," he offered. Ryan shook his head.

"Thanks anyways," he responded. The Irishman remained silent, staring off into space as Esposito gathered the last of his things. The Latino was about set to leave when Ryan spoke again. "Castle got lucky today." Looking at Ryan, Esposito remained silent, brows knitting together at the topic. "We know how much of a trouble magnet he is; he never should have come with us to that warehouse."

Esposito sighed, sitting in his chair. "Look, I don't like it either," he began. "Castle's got a daughter, and he doesn't have the training we have. I like having him around here, in the precinct. But out there? Kevlar vest or no, he's putting himself in a lot of danger. "

Kevin couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped him. "You know, I half-expected him to follow us inside. Do something stupid, you know? Like knock something over, or forget to turn off his phone," he admitted. "Instead, he found our suspect, got shot at– lucky bastard didn't actually get shot – and got us the plate, make and model of the car."

"He would've made a hell of a cop," Esposito agreed. "Beckett tell you how he popped open a wine bottle as a distraction so she could get a shot and apprehend the suspect?" Kevin nodded, letting out a chuckle as he recalled Beckett's recounting of the event. "I think the fact that he's not a cop is what makes him helpful. He sees things differently than we do, makes us look at things from another angle. His first case with us? He realized we had the wrong guy."

"I'm glad he's on our side," Kevin laughed. He sobered after a moment. "We just have to make sure he doesn't do something stupid and get himself killed. He had our backs on this case, and we almost let him get shot."

"He may already be well down the stupid track," Esposito found himself muttering. Ryan rose an eyebrow at that, so Esposito looked around the precinct. Seeing it was mostly empty, save for a few uniforms, he leaned towards his partner, lowering his voice. "He's looking into Beckett's mom's murder."

Ryan's eyes widened. "You're kidding me," he breathed. "What the hell does he think he's doing?"

Esposito rubbed his forehead. "He thinks a pair of fresh eyes might help catch something Beckett didn't find."

"And Beckett just… gave him the file?" Ryan asked in disbelief. Esposito tensed at that, pursing his lips. It took the Irish cop seconds to understand. "Javi, you didn't."

"I figured him asking me would prevent him from asking Beckett," Esposito shrugged defensively. "You know she'd shoot him if he did."

"She'll shoot him regardless if she finds out he's investigating  _behind her back_ ," Ryan hissed. "And you know she won't hesitate in shooting you either."

"Castle and I agreed that he'd leave me out of it," Esposito assured. He hesitated. "Maybe… maybe he'll find something." Ryan thought that over. "He's good at detective work. Investigating. He has connections that we don't." Esposito shrugged again. "Maybe he'll see something none of us did."

"Maybe," Kevin agreed, knowing Castle was capable of it. "But Esposito… you know keeping it a secret from Beckett is only going to bite us all in the ass, right?"

"Probably," Esposito sighed. "And Castle's more than likely to get the brunt of it. But it's better than letting a killer go free. Beckett deserves closure."

"Then we better hope Castle can solve it," Kevin huffed, "because that's the only way Beckett's not going to get mad about this."


	8. Home is Where the Heart Stops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

Clanging of metal echoed in the Batcave. On the training mat, Castle and Alexis sparred with each other; their swords were dull and would only leave a bruise at most.

"Who is he?" Castle asked as Alexis blocked his swing.

"His name is Owen, he's in my poetry class. Very shy and very sweet–" Castle disarmed Alexis, leaving her with an offended look on her face. "Hey!"

"Always mind your surroundings," Castle recited, handing her back her sword. "You need to focus." Alexis held back a frustrated groan as they continued sword fighting. She ducked under his offensive, rolling out of the way and came up behind him. Castle faced her, "Does he know how you feel about him?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't even know how I feel about him!" Alexis exclaimed, spinning her sword once. She feinted left and tapped him on the right; Castle looked at where the sword was touching his arm. He smiled proudly.

"Very nice."

One of the computers beeped, making the two look over. "Batlight's on," Alexis said, looking at her dad.

"Time to suit up," he replied. Alexis lifted his cell phone from the console.

"And Beckett's calling," she added, making Castle hesitate. He looked from the case where his suit was to his ringing phone before finally picking up the phone.

"Castle," he greeted.

* * *

"Where's Castle?" Esposito wondered when Beckett showed up to the crime scene alone. She shrugged.

"I called him, he said he was busy."

"Too busy to come to a crime scene?" Lanie scoffed. "That's a first."

"Did he say what he was doing?" Ryan asked.

"No," Beckett replied.

"That's so weird," Ryan whispered to Esposito, who nodded in agreement, but Beckett interrupted.

"Listen, you two can interrogate your boyfriend about his whereabouts tomorrow," she teased. "He'll be at the precinct. I'm sure he's not cheating on you guys." The boys remained indignantly silent after that.

As Lanie gave her whatever details she could, Beckett happened to look out the window into the city. She could see the Batlight shining into the night sky.

On the roof of the Twelfth Precinct, Montgomery handed Batman a file. "These robberies have been going on for the last three months. We believe it's all being done by the same group."

Batman flipped through the file, frowning. "They've been escalating in violence."

"Yes, they have," Montgomery sighed. "My team got a call tonight. Another robbery, except…"

Batman looked at Montgomery. "Someone was killed this time," he growled, the conclusion obvious.

"Look, I know you've got other things on your plate," Montgomery began, "but this group just crossed a line and now a woman is dead. And they're not going to stop. It's going to keep escalating-"

"I'll look into it, see what I can find out," Batman assured. "I'll give you the information directly."

* * *

" _Esposito, Ryan," Montgomery called out. "Anything from the other victims?"_

" _Four major scores, and we've got nothing," Ryan sighed. "These guys got no incentive quit now, either."_

"Hopefully the Batman's got something that'll help us," Montgomery muttered to himself. Ryan and Esposito exchanged a surprised glance.

"Wait, the Batman is working this case too?" Esposito asked, making sure to keep his voice down. "How? Since when?"

"Since last night," Montgomery admitted quietly. "I asked him to help us out. Whoever's responsible for all of this is a pro, and has been doing a damn good job of covering up their tracks. The Batman, on the other hand, does a damn good job of  _un_ covering tracks. Any information he finds, he's promised to turn over to us."

"All we need is a solid lead," Ryan said. "If the Batman can give that to us, we can blow this case wide open."

* * *

" _Tell you what; if you can get any of the next three bullets into the ten ring, I will give you the files," Beckett offered. Castle looked at her._

" _Yeah?"_

_Beckett smirked. "Yeah."_

Without missing a beat, Castle looked back at the target and fired three time, leaving three tight holes in the ten ring. Beckett's jaw dropped at the sight, while Castle coolly removed the headphones and glasses. Beckett did the same, only her movements were jerked and angry. When she glared at Castle, he smirked. "You're a very good teacher," he stated. As he looked back at the target, he couldn't but feel a little bit proud of himself.

Just because he didn't use guns didn't mean he didn't know  _how_  to use them.

* * *

"Pilfering evidence again, I see?" Alexis teased.

"Borrowing," Castle corrected. "I won a bet, ergo, I get to  _borrow_ the evidence. And how did your date with Owen go?"

Alexis blushed. "It wasn't a date, it was a study group."

"Hmmhmm," Castle teased. "And how many in the group?"

"Just the two of us," Alexis admitted with a shy grin.

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Castle spoke again. "I'm thinking about updating our security; see what new systems Fox might have."

"New security?" Martha wondered. "Why on earth would we need more security?"

"If anyone comes, we have you," Alexis pointed out. "And if you're not here, I can take them down." Castle shot her a look. "Hey, you're the one who trained me into a mini-ninja. I can defend myself."

"I'm serious," Castle insisted. "I just want you two to be safe."

"Darling, life isn't safe, especially not in New York," Martha countered.

"Hey!" Castle protested indignantly.

"I'm not diminishing your accomplishments," Martha assured. "I'm simply referring to things like… cranes collapsing. Air conditioners fall out of windows. And there still is a criminal element out there; less threatening than what it used to be, that's for sure. But you can't be on every corner, on every rooftop, to protect everyone, darling. In the end, the best we can all do is make the most of life before something comes along and knocks us down."

"Yeah, well, I don't plan on getting knocked down anytime soon," Castle countered. "There's still a lot of work to be done." He looked back at the photos. "You know, these are pretty incredible pieces. The kind you'd need to fence… And that fence would have to have high-end connections, impeccable taste, an appreciation for the product…" His brows furrowed, and Alexis seemed to realize what he was thinking.

"You don't think…" Her voice trailed off.

"If you have these kinds of jewels, who would you go to for business?" Castle asked in response. Alexis frowned.

"Yeah, but she wouldn't kill anyone," she protested. Castle shook his head.

"No, I'm not saying she's the killer, or even the thief," he assured, standing up. "But if there's anyone in New York who knows who's fencing these pieces, it's her."

"Please tell me you'll at least ask her as Richard Castle, and not track her down like a dog in your cowl?" Martha sighed, used to her son's antics.

"No promises," Castle stated, walking to the study.

"Dad," Alexis protested, but he didn't stop, disappearing into the hidden staircase. She groaned, slumping in the couch. "I really hope she's not involved."

"More than likely not; she doesn't like violent groups," Martha assured. "But your father's right; Selina is privy to quite a bit of information in the criminal underground."

* * *

"What can I do for you, Mr. Detective?" Selina asked, not at all disturbed at the fact that Batman just slipped in through her window. Batman handed her the file, and she leafed through it. "Oh… these are exquisite."

"Can you tell me anything about them? Has anyone tried to fence them?"

Selina shook her head. "I haven't heard a thing. Then again, something as valuable as these? You don't want to fence them anywhere near the area you stole them." She looked up. "How long ago were they stolen?"

"Starting three months ago," Batman responded. "They've been stolen through a string of home invasions."

"Home invasions?" Selina repeated. "In high-end parts of town?"

"Have you heard anything?"

"Of course," Selina answered. "But I didn't know that  _these_  were the scores. Your thief, or thieves, are probably involved in high society. Maybe not acquaintances, but in the circle. They see the victims wearing these pieces, most likely at a gala or some other special occasion, and that's when and where the job is planned."

"Anything else?" Batman wondered. Selina stood up from her couch.

"Without seeing the crime scene, anything else would be purely speculation," she replied, going into her closet.

"Crime scene's sealed off," Batman stated. "We'll have to go in through the window."

Selina poked her head out, smirking. "I love it when we're on the same page."

* * *

Catwoman glared at Batman as they stood in the victim's apartment. "You didn't tell me they put the woman in the safe," she hissed. Batman looked at her as he climbed in through the window.

"We weren't talking about the crime scene or the murder at that point," he defended. "We were talking about the robberies and the jewels."

"Yeah, well, my being here just put a target on my back," Catwoman snapped. "More so than usual. This…" she motioned to the bloodstain under the safe, "is brutality for brutality's sake. Your thief-slash-murderer gets off on the violence."

"You don't have to psycho-analyze the criminals; that's my job," Batman said, putting a calming hand on her shoulder. "Just focus on the robbery."

Catwoman frowned, looking up at him. Sighing, she nodded her agreement and began inspecting the room. "There's a lot of things in here they could've taken, but didn't. This painting would be easy to transport, and would make them a few million, with the right fence."

The creaking of floorboards brought both of them to silence; there was someone at the door. Glancing at each other, the two of them made their way to the window. Batman paused, thinking, before giving the Batclaw to Catwoman. "What are you-"

"Go," Batman hissed in response. "If it's who I think it is, I'll be fine. But you can't be here." Catwoman frowned. " _Go_ ," he insisted. The thief nodded, firing the Batclaw and rising up to the rooftop across the street. As the door opened, Batman slipped into the shadows, hiding.

Beckett walked into the apartment, frowning when the light wouldn't turn on. She flipped the switch a few more times, but it still didn't work. She took out her flashlight, proceeding to walk into the apartment with caution.

"Detective Beckett."

She would never admit it, but she did jump in surprise, spinning around towards the voice. Beckett was startled to see Batman appear out of the shadows, walking towards her. Her mouth dropped open; the last time she had seen him face-to-mask was when he had saved her from Scarecrow years ago. She hadn't really gotten a chance to thank him, what with her being poisoned, and somehow she felt she was three years too late.

"It's been a while," Batman continued.

Beckett nodded stiffly. "Montgomery mentioned you'd be working this case," she chose to say. It was a safe topic, strictly professional. "And I see you've let yourself in," she added, looking at the window.

"The front door isn't exactly my style," Batman replied, and Beckett blinked in surprise.  _Had he just made a joke?_  "I told Captain Montgomery I'd give any of my findings to him, but since you're here…" Beckett nodded, paying close attention. "Your suspect is more than likely a part of high-society himself. Or herself. That doesn't necessarily mean that he or she knows the victims personally. They just run in the same circles."

Beckett nodded. "Since the pieces are so valuable, the thief must've seen the victims wearing them at some special event," she realized.

"Exactly," Batman assured. "Look for an event that all of the victims attended. Your killer is more than likely on the guest list."

Beckett let out a breath. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, Detective," Batman countered. Beckett nodded slowly, accepting that. She turned to leave, but stopped at his voice.

"Has Kyle Mitchell made bail yet?" he asked.

Turning, Beckett frowned. "How did you know about-" She cut herself off. "Stupid question. Yes, but the paperwork hasn't been processed yet, so he's still in holding." She wasn't about to tell the Batman she was delaying the paperwork out of spite. "Why?"

"This is what I need you to do."

* * *

"The Batman said  _what_?" Montgomery demanded.

"He was insistent, sir. He said it had to be Castle, otherwise it wouldn't work." Beckett pursed her lips. "And we both know that he's right. Mitchell made his low opinion of Castle obvious in the interrogation room. Since Castle's not a cop, Mitchell will be more likely to talk to him. Castle can stroke his ego."

"Someone's ego is about to be stroked," Montgomery agreed, looking out into the bullpen where Castle was talking to Ryan and Esposito, "but something tells me it's not going to be Mitchell."

When they explained to Castle what to do, he looked like he couldn't contain his excitement. "The Batman asked  _me_  to do this?!" he asked gleefully. "I'm honored-"

"Castle?" Beckett interrupted. "Shut up."

* * *

With the 'con' completed, Castle managed to get Beckett and the boys a description that helped create a facial sketch. Now the team was writing out a list of all the special events the victims had attended.

"Why we doing this again?" Ryan wondered.

"You wanted a lead from the Batman," Beckett replied. "Here you go."

"So we find an organization that all of our victims supported," Esposito began.

"And we find our guy," Castle finished. After a few moments of investigating, he noticed the pattern. "It's MADT."

"Metropolitian America Dance Theater," Beckett realized.

* * *

" _You know what you need?" Castle began, looking at Beckett. "A night on the town."_

* * *

"I don't know why you won't tell me where the party is," Martha stated.

"Because then you'll show up," Castle replied, making his mother roll her eyes.

"My dad, going on a date," Alexis teased, handing her father a tie.

"It is not a date," Castle countered. "It is an undercover operation, which I have done many times before."

"If I recall, your first undercover operation ended up with Selina pickpocketing you and taking the Ferrari out for a joyride," Martha reminded.

"Okay, first of all, I was not undercover that night, she knew who I was," Castle protested. "Second of all…" He frowned petulantly. "Well, come on, she's a master thief! Of course she was able to pickpocket me!"

"Yes, but you're Batman," Alexis replied, grinning. "I didn't think there's anything you can't do?"

* * *

At the front entrance of the charity event, Esposito couldn't help from rolling his eyes at the guests. "These people are guilty of tax evasion, not home invasion," he scoffed. Ryan chuckled.

"Yeah, well…" His voice trailed off as he realized who was coming out of the red Ferrari. "Appearances can be deceiving." Elbowing Esposito, the two of them stared at Castle and Beckett as they walked down the red carpet. Shouts of Castle's name could be heard as the cameras flashed, taking pictures of the writer.

"Bro, nice car," Esposito commented when they were nearby. Ryan let out a whistle of approval, still eyeing the car. Castle smiled.

"You should see my other one," he whispered to himself.

"What?" Beckett asked, having missed what he said. Castle gave her an innocent look.

"What?"

* * *

Beckett was startled when Castle pulled her onto the dance floor. "Sorry," he apologized. "But this is the only place we can talk without being overheard." He could sense her rolling her eyes, but he continued. "The Head of Donor Development seems to know an awful lot about me."

"She's not the only one," Beckett scoffed. "Did you know that they call you the White Whale?"

"The White Whale?" Castle repeated. "Not Moby D-"

"No," Beckett interrupted, fixing him with a glare. Castle chuckled, continuing to dance with her. "Castle, she's in Donor Development, it's her job to know things about potential donors."

Castle went to argue, but his eye was caught by a brunette in a long black dress. Eyes widening, he took a step back from Beckett. She looked at him in confusion, tilting her head. With an apologetic smile, he led her off the dance floor, away from Selina. "Just wait right here for a moment," he asked. "I'll be right back."

He didn't give the detective a chance to respond; he was already walking away. With furrowed brows, Beckett frowned to herself.  _That was odd…_ Watching curiously, Beckett watched him approach a group of people, politely pulling a brunette woman to the side. The two of them spoke in hushed voices to each other, although Castle seemed to be concerned.  _An ex-girlfriend?_  Beckett guessed to herself.

"What are you doing here?" Castle demanded in confusion, lowering his voice as the bidding of items started.

"Rick, let's be honest, there is a big difference between high-end thieves and the thugs you beat on a regular basis," Selina explained. "I'm here to help."

"Why didn't you call?" Castle asked. "I'm here with the NYPD."

Selina didn't even flinch at that. "Then we'll just have to be careful," she stated. She looked over his shoulder. "And your detective girlfriend is making her way over here."

"Castle?" Beckett asked, almost on cue. "What's going on?"

"Beckett," Castle began, hesitantly. "This is my friend-"

"Serena Kaye," Selina lied smoothly. "I work for Legal at Queen Industries."

Beckett, not noticing Castle's approving look, shook the thief's hand. "Kate Beckett. Nice to meet you."

Selina went to speak, but she cut herself off. "Rick," she said, her gaze directed towards the stage. "Isn't that your mother?"

Castle looked over, an expression of horror appearing on his face when he saw Martha there. "What is she…?"

When Martha announced that a date with Castle was up for auction, he winced. Turning to Beckett, he said desperately, "Listen, I have money. Whatever you pay; I'll pay you back-"

"Not a chance in hell, Castle," Beckett grinned. Castle turned to Selina pleadingly, but she shook her head with a smirk.

Castle groaned, but then Selina nudged him. Following her gaze, he frowned as he saw it. "That guy's taking pictures," he murmured to Beckett.

"I would too, if I had a camera," the detective teased.

"Of the crowd?"

* * *

" _Paul Reynolds, you're under arrest on suspicion of theft and conspiracy to commit murder."_

* * *

" _He said I owed him… but he wanted more and more. I told him I wanted out, but he said if I quit, he'd do everything he saved me from in prison. To me and to Rachel."_

* * *

"Castle, as a friend, I am asking you not to leave this car," Beckett said, thinking back to the purse knockoff case. "Last time you wandered off and got shot at. Your little Hardy boy act-"

"Is going to get myself killed, I know," Castle sighed.

"Or one of them killed," Beckett added, looking at Ryan and Esposito. "I can't have that on my conscience."

"Neither can I," Castle assured.

"So, we're agreed?" Beckett asked, and Castle nodded.

"Wait," he called out as she opened the car door. "What if I have to pee?"

Beckett glared at him for a moment, before reaching for her empty coffee cup and handing it to him. He playfully returned her glare, watching as she and the boys went up the stairs to get to their suspect's apartment.

As soon as they were out of sight, Castle scooched into the driver seat. He sat there for a moment, frowning almost immediately. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting; nothing would ever match the Batmobile. Pretending he was a cop, he 'spoke' into the radio; then he imagined he was in the middle of a high speed chase. In the back of his mind, he briefly contemplated getting his own chase music to play in the Batmobile.

"Pa na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na, BATMAN!-"

He jumped when a man landed on the hood of the car.  _That had to hurt_ , he winced. Looking at him, Castle frowned when he realized it was the man in the sketch – it was their suspect. Castle wished yet again that he was in his Batmobile, but his best option right now was to turn on the windshield wipers. It hit the man in the face, making him flinch. He rolled off, pointing his gun at Castle.

"Out of the car!" he demanded.

"Actually, she told me that I have to stay in the c-"

The killer grabbed him through the open window. "Right now!"

Castle hid his smirk.  _Big mistake_. "Okay, here I come," he replied. He slammed the door against the suspect, making him fall back to the pavement. Castle got out, and the two began brawling.

When Beckett arrived, her jaw dropped when she saw their suspect pinned facedown to the floor, Castle holding both of his arms behind his back. "Castle?" she hissed. The writer looked up at her, grinning.

"I got him!"

"Nice job bro," Esposito complimented as he and Ryan apprehended the man. Castle nodded, making himself sound slightly breathless. He turned to Beckett.

"I tried," he apologized. "I really tried, to stay in the car."

Beckett stared at him for a moment, before letting a half smile come onto her face. "I know," she said. "I'm just glad you're alive." She looked at their suspect for a moment. "First Tisdale, now this?" Beckett turned back to the writer. "You wanna explain that?"

"My dad," Castle replied without missing a beat. "He taught me self-defense when I was a teenager."

Beckett let out a huff as Ryan and Esposito escorted their guy to a unit. "Yeah, well, try to keep it to a minimum, okay? I don't need you getting cocky and dying on my watch," she warned, although there was a joking tone to her words. Castle only grinned as they reentered her car.

* * *

The next morning, Castle got an early start, despite having a late night. He had stopped one of Penguin's trucks that had been transporting weapons into the city. Unfortunately, it earned him a bruise on his jaw. Alexis was typing away on the FBI database, for fun, while Castle was making breakfast.

"Darling, we have visitors!" Martha called out. Alexis quickly got out of the FBI database and pushed her laptop to the side, just before Beckett walked in with Martha.

"Hey Castle," Beckett greeted. She noticed a bruise on his jaw and frowned. "Are you alright?"

Knowing exactly what she was referring to, Castle laughed it off. "I'm fine. It's from yesterday," he said, not lying entirely. It was from yesterday, just not from fighting with the suspect like Beckett was currently assuming. "Grab a chair," he offered.

"Thanks, but I just came to return your mom's jewelry-"

"Come on, I dragged you to that event. Let me make it up to you by making you some eggs," Castle insisted.

"Oh, no, I couldn't-"

"Nonsense!" Martha insisted. "Sit right here." She brought Beckett to sit at the island, next to Alexis. "Tell us all about the fundraiser. We've only heard  _his_  side of it."

"I'm a reliable source!" Castle protested, making Beckett roll her eyes with a grin.

"Shall I begin at the red carpet?" she offered, looking at Martha and Alexis.

"Yes, please."


	9. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

"Our victim's name isn't Alison Goldman," Beckett sighed in frustration, "but we have no way of finding out who she is."

"Her prints aren't in the system?" Ryan asked, and Beckett shook her head.

"We'll have to go through missing persons' cases, look at any cold case suspects… see if she falls into any of those categories," Beckett stated.

"That could take days. Weeks, even," Esposito pointed out.

"Well, until we find out who she is, we're not going to be able to find out who killed her," Beckett countered.

"I notice Castle's conveniently not present for this," Ryan retorted as the three of them headed to the archives.

"Well, you know Castle," Beckett joked along. "Always around for action, never for the work."

As the detectives were digging through case files, Castle had returned to the medical examiner's office. He had been around long enough that he had learned the employees' schedules. Lanie, for example, would be out for lunch right now, leaving the morgue empty. Sneaking in, he checked the room, making sure the coast was clear.

Checking his watch, he saw he had fifteen minutes until Lanie came back.  _I'll only need five_ …

Castle approached 'Alison,' frowning at the dead woman's face. She was more than likely a criminal on the run, but she hadn't deserved to die. With a sigh, Castle put on rubber gloves and set to work. He took her prints and ran them through the Batcomputer's system, using the FBI's database to see if he could find something the NYPD couldn't. While he waited, he also examined her for any tattoos or markings that could be helpful in identifying her.

A beep from his phone told him it wasn't necessary.

Their victim was one Cynthia Dern, wanted by the FBI for domestic terrorism and attempted manslaughter.

With a heavy sigh, Castle sent an anonymous tip to Lanie's work email. He slipped out of the office unnoticed; all he had to do was wait for Lanie to see the email and update Beckett. Then they could move on with their investigation.

* * *

_**WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS** _

* * *

"Beckett," the detective greeted, answering her phone. She stood from her seat in the basement, grimacing at the stacks of files she and the boys were looking through.

" _Kate, I have an ID for your victim_."

"You do? That's great," Beckett said, sighing in relief. She motioned to the boys that they could stop searching, and they did so, gladly.

" _I'm sending the information over to you now,"_ Lanie informed. There was a pause. " _Kate… it was_ _ **him**_ _again. He sent another anonymous tip."_

Kate stiffened at that. "Okay," she finally said. "Thanks Lanie."

"Lanie found an ID?" Esposito asked. Beckett put her phone away, biting her lip.

"Batman did," she replied.

"Batman?" Ryan repeated. "How?"

"The guy's a ghost, Ryan," Beckett shrugged. "And he makes it his business to help the NYPD out… We just get special attention because we work for Montgomery."

"If it gets me out of searching for victims' identities by  _hand_ , then I'm all for it," Esposito stated, standing up.

"Don't you guys ever wonder  _how_  he knows all the things that he knows?" Ryan asked. "Especially lately… How does he find out certain information, how does he know what cases the NYPD needs help with?"

"All the time," Beckett confessed.

"Just wait till Castle finds out the Batman helped us out, again," Esposito teased.

"Yeah, and I'll leave you to listen to Castle and Ryan fanboy over him," Beckett teased back, earning a glare from Esposito and an indignant pout from Ryan.

* * *

" _I hope he didn't do it," Castle admitted after he and Beckett returned from talking to the Pikes. "I really hope he alibies out."_

" _And here I thought you'd be saying 'what a great story if Adam Pike is the killer,'" Beckett replied. "A son taking revenge for his father."_

"It is a good story, it's a great story," Castle stated, speaking from a writer's perspective. He paused, shifting to a moral line of thought. "I mean… I'd understand  _why_  he'd do it, but that doesn't make it right." Beckett looked at him curiously.

"You sound like you're talking from experience?"

Castle paused, still looking at the murder board. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "My dad," he began. "He worked in federal law enforcement." That was partially a lie, but it was the official cover story the CIA had released after his dad's death. "He had to go away a lot. Finally, he was sent on his retirement case. He left… and he never came back." He looked at Beckett. "Six years later, they confirmed him as KIA."

The writer held the detective's gaze for a moment before looking back at the murder board. "I… I was so angry. At him, at his job… I would have done anything to find the people who killed him, and make them pay," he continued with a helpless shrug.

Beckett studied him with some sort of fascination. After a moment, she spoke. "What changed?" she asked.

Castle smiled fondly. "Alexis was born," he admitted.

* * *

" _Adam Pike's alibi fell apart. He lied about working Tuesday night._ "

* * *

" _Remind me if I ever decide to write a memoir, to not write a memoir," Castle pleaded._

" _Why not?" Beckett asked._

" _Because memoirs are about the truth," Castle explained, feeling uneasy. "And I'm not a very truthful person."_

* * *

"It had to be Cynthia," Montgomery insisted at the poker game. "Swanson was in prison, and Susan Maylor was dead."

"Call," Harvey Dent said, sitting in between Castle and Montgomery. "And you're sure no one else was involved?"

"No, just the three of them," Castle replied with a sigh. "That is, if you believe the FBI. Call."

"You know, we don't  _really_  have to talk about this," Beckett interjected.

"Anything to stop His Honor over here from talking about budget initiatives," Dent countered with a laugh.

"Ha, okay Mister District Attorney," Weldon snarked. "And who supported your campaign?"

"Actually, that was me," Castle interjected at the same time Dent said "Rick."

Beckett watched how at ease the four men conversed with each other, and couldn't help but smile to herself. Although, she was surprised to learn that Castle supported Dent's run for District Attorney. He didn't strike her as the type to play a part in politics.

"Anyway," Dent continued, "the FBI, I believe. But why take Cynthia Dern's word for anything that happened the night of the bombing? Her own ghostwriter didn't even trust her."

"The DA is right," Weldon agreed. "What do we actually know about what happened?"

Castle, Beckett, and Montgomery exchanged uncertain looks, making Harvey raise an eyebrow. "Not much," Beckett admitted. "From Lee Wax's notes, we know that Captain Pike overheard two women arguing. Cynthia claimed she was trying to change Susan's mind."

"Fold," Montgomery called out. "If we assume Cynthia was lying…"

"Well, maybe it was Susan that wanted to save Pike and Cynthia was the one who wanted to run," Weldon guessed. "Raise 20."

"Right, but the timer's already set. Three minutes, and the clock is ticking," Castle stated.

"The girls argue, wasting precious seconds," Dent realized.

"Susan runs towards the ticking bomb, trying to shut it down," Weldon continued.

"While Cynthia runs for cover," Montgomery added.

"Right, Susan gets to the bomb, but… too late," Castle added.

"Boom," Weldon finished.

"Which means Susan Maylor didn't die trying to set the bomb," Castle theorized.

"She died trying to save an innocent man's life," Dent replied. "Fold."

"It still doesn't explain where the money came from," Beckett pointed out.

Weldon frowned. "Fold." He looked at Castle. "How about it, Castle? You're good with twists. Where'd the money come from?"

"I'm thinking," Castle replied.

"Maybe you should think up some chips for the pot, because it looks like it's just you and me," Beckett snarked. The other men laughed, and Castle couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"Alright, Detective Beckett," he said. "I'm all in."

"Do us a favor Detective, beat his pants off," Dent laughed.

"Yes, please, beat my pants off, if you dare," Castle teased.

"Beckett," Montgomery called. "Do me proud."

"To hell with proud," Dent added. "Make him cry like a little girl."

Castle only smirked at the teasing. Beckett studied him for a moment, then studied her cards. After a few moments of thought, she folded. "Sorry guys," she said, hearing the men – except for Castle – groan. "It's just not my night."

The writer celebrated, much to the annoyance of his 'Gotham City Crew.'

"Don't you ever get tired of winning, Castle?" Dent complained.

"Heh, you'd think so, but no."

"Well, I think that's it for me," Weldon announced. "Detective Beckett, it was a pleasure."

"Mister Mayor."

"Sorry we couldn't solve your case," Dent offered.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make him cry like a little girl," Beckett joked.

"It's not your fault," Weldon assured. "No matter how down he gets, he always seems to… rise, from the dead."

"Now that would be a twist," Castle suddenly said. With everyone's attention on him, he explained. "The money had to have come from Cynthia, because Swanson was in jail and Susan Maylor was dead. Right?"

"Right," Dent agreed.

"But what if Susan Maylor didn't die in that explosion?" Castle proposed. "What if she's still alive?"

* * *

" _Mary Wright. She comes in once a month, sends a money order to her relatives in New York."_

* * *

" _It's not hard to live like a ghost, when everyone thinks you're dead," Susan Maylor said. "Everything could've stayed just the way it was… It didn't take long to figure out that Cynthia was lying about what she was going to put in the book… She tried to kill me… I saw the tub full of oil."_

" _She planned to kill you and make it look like a suicide."_

" _We struggled. She lost her balance, fell against the sink and hit her head… So I- I dragged her to the tub and I… I pushed her in. I was already dead; I just wanted to keep it that way."_

* * *

"Maybe this might cheer you up a bit," Castle said, pulling out a wad of money. Beckett raised an eyebrow. "Your winnings."

"My winnings?"

"Don't play coy with me," Castle scoffed. "You threw your hand."

Beckett bit back a smile. "Okay, maybe I just didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends," she replied, shrugging. "I was trying to be nice."

"Now we're even," Castle declared. "So what do you say…" he took a deck of cards out of his pocket, "to a little showdown? Head to head. Toe to toe. Winner take all. Mano a mujer."

"Hand to woman?" Beckett asked.

"Whatever it takes."

Smirking, the detective leaned forward. "You're on."

"No mercy."

"I'm gonna make you hurt."

"Oh, you're gonna get hurt."

"What are we playing for?"

"Pride," Castle replied. "Or clothing."

Beckett rose an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I think I have a bag of gummy bears in my desk."

Castle handed her the cards. "Shuffle."

"Deal."

Beckett shuffled the cards, when Castle felt his phone buzz. He took it out, answering when he saw it was Alexis. "Hello?"

" _Dad, I've got reports of robbery in progress up in Midtown,"_ Alexis replied.  _"It looks like Black Mask and Penguin are teaming up on this one._ " Castle felt his smirk fall off his face.

"Okay, sweetie, I'll be right there," he replied, making Beckett look at him in surprise.

"You have to go?" she questioned in suspicion once he hung up.

"I didn't plan this," Castle countered, knowing what she was thinking. "It was Alexis; there's an emergency. I gotta head home."

Beckett nodded, not completely buying it. "Another time then," she offered. Castle blinked in surprise, but nodded, smiling.

"Another time," he agreed. He stood up, walking quickly towards the elevator. Beckett watched him leave, although she couldn't help but frown. Castle had never hung around late into the night them, which Beckett found odd. She thought for certain Castle would've pulled an all-nighter with her and the boys at least once.

 _Then, once he realized how much it doesn't match his playboy lifestyle, he'd never do it again_ , Beckett thought, chuckling.

Going through the deck, she realized it must have been fairly new. The edges were smooth, the jokers were still there, and they weren't faded or stained. Checking the cards, she had a self-satisfied smirk when she saw that all the cards were present. Castle hadn't hid any cards up his sleeve; a completely fair game.

 _Another time_ , she thought to herself, putting the deck away.


	10. Little Girl Lost

" _You have to have hope. You have to imagine your little girl walking through that front door safe and sound. Your daughter needs you right now. She needs you to be strong. To have faith."_

* * *

" _I need you to go home," Beckett insisted._

" _Okay," Castle agreed. "But if you need me? Call me. Even if it's just to talk."_

* * *

"Why are you home so early?" Martha wondered.

"Taking a breather from this case. It's a kidnapping," Castle explained. "A little girl."

Martha looked at him with wide eyes. "No wonder you're so surly…" she murmured. "How are the parents taking it?"

Castle sighed. "As well as can be expected," he answered. "Better than me, though." Martha rose an eyebrow. "I can't picture either one of them going after the kidnapper themselves."

"Ah, well, not everyone is destined to become a vigilante," Martha replied. Castle hmm'ed in response. "What?"

"I've wondered, over the years… what if Ra's was behind it?" he theorized. Martha looked at him, confused. "Alexis' kidnapping. I mean… he claimed to know Dad. What if he wanted to meet me, wanted to train me? After he rescued Alexis, I would've done just about anything he asked."

"Not anything," Martha countered. "You refused to kill for him… We have no way of knowing if Ra's actually knew your father, or if he orchestrated Alexis' kidnapping." She took her son's hand. "What matters is Alexis is safe and sound, and you became this city's hero."

Castle gave her a half smile. "Is Alexis home?"

"She's upstairs."

"Good," Castle breathed, going to climb up the stairs. "I'm in need of a hug," he added, not seeing Martha smiling fondly at him.

* * *

" _You like him?" Sorenson asked, referring to Castle._

" _I… I don't know," Beckett replied. "He's interesting."_

* * *

" _She's my daughter, and we are going to follow their instructions to the letter. They said no cops," Mr. Candela protested. "I can do this."_

" _No way we send the father," Sorenson told Beckett. "Too many things can go wrong; he's too emotional."_

" _What choice do we have?" Beckett asked in response._

" _Me," Castle offered. "I'm not a cop… The NYPD already has a signed waiver from me, and… I don't like saying this… but you're running out of time."_

" _Castle's right… He's been with me on cases; he's good under pressure," Beckett added. "He's our best shot."_

* * *

"Ok, this is the part where I ask you if you've thought things through, then I remember that you don't think things through," Beckett commented after an FBI agent placed a wire on Castle. "These people are dangerous, Castle. You need to stay alert and focused."

"'Always mind your surroundings,'" Castle quoted, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular as he thought of a simpler time, when he was only beginning his journey to where he was now. He noticed Beckett's questioning gaze after a few moments, and snapped himself out of it. "Something an old friend used to say."

"Well, this friend of yours is right," Beckett replied, and Castle fought to keep from flinching at that. "Keep your eyes open. But Castle," she continued, "once you make the drop, walk away."

Castle's brows furrowed. "What?" he asked. "Shouldn't I stick around, see who picks up the bag?"

"No," Beckett answered fiercely. "That's exactly the kind of thing that will push the kidnappers over the edge and make them hurt Sophie. Let Ryan and Esposito handle it."

"Beckett, I'm good at remaining undetected," Castle protested.

"Castle, I need you to promise me," Beckett insisted, interrupting the writer. "Promise me you'll do as I say… because I can't live with another kid's death on my conscience."

Castle faltered at that, suddenly understanding. Sorenson said that their last case together had ended in tragedy, but Castle had yet to hear Beckett's side of it. Realizing that Beckett was still staring at him, waiting for a response, Castle let out a breath. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll make the drop, and I'll walk away. It'll be fine."

"Be careful," Beckett warned after a few moments of silence.

Castle felt his lips quirk up. "Do I detect actual concern for my well-being?"

"Screw this up and I'll kill you," Beckett offered with a smirk, making Castle chuckle.

"That's more like it."

The detective rolled her eyes before walking out of the room, muttering something about 'childish' and 'annoying.' Castle smiled to himself, before taking out his phone. It was the middle of the day, so Alexis would be at school, unavailable.

_But there is someone else that I can call…_

He selected the contact he was searching for and dialed, the continuous ringing of the phone making him anxious.

" _Hello?"_

Castle felt his smile return, relief filling him. "Lucius, it's me," he greeted. "I need a favor."

* * *

" _The kidnappers posted an ad on Craigslist, and said this was a performance art piece for YouTube," Beckett explained regretfully._

" _It's impossible to trace," Sorenson sighed._

* * *

"You okay?" Beckett asked. Castle hesitated, then shrugged.

"I keep thinking about Alexis," he admitted. "Having your child taken away from you…" He shook his head slowly, jaw clenched. "No parent should ever have to go through that nightmare."

Beckett's felt her brows furrowing together, the tension loosening once she realized what Castle was insinuating. "Alexis was kidnapped?" she breathed. Castle swallowed roughly.

"She was ten," he began. "The feds and the NYPD just kept giving me the run-around. Truth is… they had  _no clue_ where to find her, or who took her. The kidnappers didn't make any demands." Castle looked down, his suspicions of Ra's returning. "I would've given anything to have my baby girl back."

Beckett remained silent for a moment. In a surprising move, she placed a comforting hand on Castle's arm. "You got her back, Castle," she said softly. "You should've mentioned this before."

"I knew you'd keep me off the case," Castle countered. "I needed to help them get their daughter back… just like I got my daughter back." Beckett managed to smile at that, before growing serious once more.

"Go home, Castle," she insisted, moving her hand away. "Even if it's just for a couple of hours. Go see your daughter, give her a hug… I'll call you if anything comes up, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Castle asked.

"Castle, go," Beckett insisted. "I can tell you're itching to get out of here."

Castle chuckled. "That obvious?" he asked, to which Beckett nodded with a knowing look. "I'm only a phone call away."

"I know," Beckett replied, and with that, Castle left.

* * *

"Please, tell me you have something," Castle pleaded, walking into the Batcave. Lucius didn't even look at him, continuing to work on the Batcomputer instead.

"Yeah, arthritis," Lucius replied. "You should really look into getting an elevator for this place. A man my age can't be going up and down those stairs."

"I'll get right on that," Castle said, rolling his eyes with a grin. "Do you have anything that'll help find the kidnappers?" he asked.

"Putting the phone in the backpack was good work," Lucius praised, "but I'm not as skilled as your daughter is. Even with your advanced tech, it's going to take some time to get an exact location." Castle nodded in acceptance, moving away towards one of the work benches. "You know Richard," Fox continued, "when you called for my help, I thought it would be for something more serious… This seems like something the FBI could handle."

"They could," Castle agreed. "I can't ask them to, though."

"Why not?" Lucius wondered.

"Because Sophie's mother is behind the kidnapping," Castle stated, watching Lucius' eyes widen. "If I tell the feds, they'll tell her. She'll get her accomplice to find the phone and shut it off."

"Her mother? How do you…?" He cut himself off, realizing the redundancy of his question. "What gave her away?"

Castle paused before replying, "No one suspects the grieving mother."

"Except for you."

"Occupational hazard," Castle shrugged. "I have to suspect everyone. Mrs. Candela displays an obvious resentment towards her husband. The kidnappers knew exactly how much the family is worth. She orchestrated this," he explained. "Sophie was kidnapped in such a way that her mother can file charges against her husband, and gain full custody."

"Then she divorces him, but gets all the money," Lucius finished. He let out an impressed huff. "You never cease to impress, Mr. Castle." The computer beeped, gaining both of men's attention. "We have a location," Fox said, bringing up the information. Castle leaned over his shoulder, reading the screen. "Is it who you thought?"

"Yes," Castle sighed. "Unfortunately, it is."

"Unfortunately?"

Castle pulled out his phone, saying, "I really was hoping that I was wrong on this one," he admitted before dialing Beckett's phone. "Beckett, I know who took Sophie."

* * *

" _What did you do?" Mr. Candela asked, realizing the truth._

" _How is it kidnapping? She's my daughter!"_

" _You violated your husband's custodial rights," Beckett informed._

" _Why would you do this?" Mr. Candela demanded. "How could you hate me so much?"_

" _You made it easy."_

* * *

"Now that I'm back, I was thinking we could give it another shot," Sorenson stated, sitting next to Beckett.

"And when you have to leave again?" Beckett scoffed.

"You come with me… Think about it," Sorenson offered, standing up.

"Will," Beckett called out as he walked away. He turned to her hopefully, but deflated when he saw the look on her face. She sent him a sad smile and shook her head. "We had our chance." She shrugged. "We both knew it wasn't going to work."

Sorenson paused, then nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "Good luck, Kate."

"You too."

* * *

" _You're a mysterious woman, Kate Beckett."_

" _Maybe there's a little more Nikki Heat in me than you think."_


	11. A Death in the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

Martha walked into the Batcave, pausing when she saw her son working with on the Batcomputer. For someone who was always so aware of his surroundings, he seemed to be completely focused on what he was doing, and ignorant of the world around him.

"Something wrong, mother?" Castle asked.

Martha rolled her eyes with a grin.  _Of course he knew I was here…_ "What are you doing?"

"Johanna Beckett's case," Castle replied, not looking away from the screen. "I finally got a chance to take a look at it."

"Does she know you're looking into her mother's case?"

"What's the sense of telling her until I find something new?" Castle asked in response.

"Richard, don't you think you're crossing a line here?" Martha wondered. "This is Beckett's  _mother_. You are digging up her past without her permission."

"Johanna Beckett deserves justice. Beckett and her father deserve closure," Castle countered, turning towards his mother. "I need to find out who did this, and why."

Martha's brows furrowed. "I thought Beckett told you it was ruled as a random gang attack," she said slowly. Castle's jaw clenched, and a sad look came into his eyes. "You found something that suggests otherwise?"

Castle pointed towards the screen. "I've been going over the ME's report," he began. "There's nothing that suggests this was random. Johanna Beckett's stab wounds weren't erratic. They were deliberate. One of the stab wounds was a low-angle thrust to the kidney. The wound size suggests the knife was twisted. It would've sent her into immediate shock." Martha looked from the screen to her son. "Mother... this was done by a professional."

* * *

_**WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS** _

* * *

" _If I had to guess, I'd say the victim was tortured before he was killed," Lanie informed._

* * *

"Hey, are you okay?" Beckett asked. She and Castle were in her car, driving to the victim's office in Midtown. When Castle looked at her questioningly, she shrugged. "You're not usually this quiet."

Castle huffed. "And here I thought you'd enjoy the silence."

Beckett smirked. "It's nice," she teased. "Odd, but nice. Seriously though, are you okay? If there's something you have to take care of-"

"I'm fine," Castle interrupted, sending her a reassuring grin. It wasn't convincing, but Beckett decided not to push. For that, Castle was grateful; he had to figure out how to not think about what he had learned about Beckett's mother's murder, and focus on their new case. All he could think about, though, were the stab wounds and the lies on the ME's report. Sighing, Castle looked back out the window, watching the city streets pass by. "I'm fine."

* * *

" _CSU said the car was clean. It would be almost impossible for a run-of-the-mill revenge murderer to be that invisible."_

" _You think it was professional?" Montgomery asked. "A surgeon with broken fingers? That's someone sending a message."_

* * *

" _According to the hospital, the operation was nine hours long."_

" _Get this, the hospital can't find the file," Ryan informed. "It was like it never happened."_

" _Who did you call?" Castle wondered._

" _Patient information," Ryan replied._

" _That was your first mistake," Castle said, making the three detectives and the captain look at him. "You want to find someone at a hospital who had a treatment there? There's only one department to go to where nothing ever falls through the cracks… Billing. Someone had to pay for it, right."_

* * *

" _The bill was paid promptly and in full."_

" _By who?"_

" _Wire transfer."_

* * *

" _That account the money came from belongs to the US Attorney's office."_

" _To change someone's identity," Beckett realized._

" _If Doctor Leeds was tortured, then someone's trying to find this guy."_

" _We better find him first."_

" _How do you find someone in Witness Protection?"_

" _Ask the people who are protecting him," Beckett replied._

"Which would be…?" Castle asked, already knowing the answer.

"The prosecuting attorney," Beckett answered.

"You mean the DA?" Ryan scoffed. "Good luck with that."

"I don't need luck," Beckett smirked, turning to Castle. "I've got one of his friends right here."

Ryan and Esposito both looked at Castle, brows furrowed. "You're friends with Harvey Two-Face?" Esposito demanded.

Castle blinked at the nickname. "Two-Face?" he repeated. "What got him that name?"

"Harvey Dent used to work in Internal Affairs," Ryan explained, crossing his arms. "He made a lot of corrupt cops unhappy."

"Yeah, I know that," Castle shrugged. "It's one of the reasons I supported his campaign."

"Yeah, well, good or bad, no cop likes IA," Esposito replied angrily. "They're your friend one minute, then the next they're accusing you and your partner of something you didn't do." Castle felt like there was story there, but decided it wasn't the time to pry.

"Yeah, well Dent's one of the good guys," Beckett countered. "Come on Castle. Let's see if he'll slip you any information."

Castle let out a breath. "Anything to help the NYPD," he replied, following the female detective to the elevator.

* * *

"Detective, I'm sorry, but you know that information on a protected witness is confidential," Dent stated apologetically. "Whether or not you have proof that we employed Doctor Leeds, or that an operation took place is irrelevant."

"Not to my victim, it's not," Beckett countered. "Not to his family, and certainly not to his fiancé. They were planning a life together that they will never have."

"Detective Beckett, I am every bit sympathetic to Doctor Leeds loved ones," Dent replied sincerely. "But I also have a job to do."

"Doesn't it matter to you that the man that you employed was killed, and whoever murdered him might be looking for your witness?" Beckett challenged.

"I can't reveal the identity of a vital witness in the middle of an ongoing investigation," Dent insisted. "If you want to wait until the trial is over, then I can give you the information you're looking for."

"'Until the trial is over?'" Castle repeated, finally speaking up. "Harvey, if you have a witness who needs to be put into WitSec, and is a vital part to your case, that means it's mob related." Dent sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as Castle continued, "That's what you based your campaign on, it's why you do what you do. To take down the mob."

"What's your point?" Dent asked.

"That by the time the trial is over, Doctor Leeds' killer will be long gone," Castle replied. "You know that the more time that passes, the less of a chance there is to catch the killer."

Dent paused, thinking, but shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, Rick," he answered. "I can't give you the witness."

* * *

"What if we ask the other side?" Castle mused aloud as he and Beckett were walking out of the District Attorney's office.

"You want to ask the mob who the witness is?" Beckett asked incredulously.

"Clearly, they already know who he is, if they're trying to kill him," Castle explained, turning to her. "Like Dent said, he's a significant witness in a pretty big case."

"So, what do we do?" Beckett demanded. "Hop in the car and drive down to The Iceberg Lounge?"

An idea came to mind, making Castle smirk. He quickly hid it before Beckett looked at him, and shrugged slightly. "I know a guy. He owes me a favor."

"You 'know a guy?'" Beckett repeated.

"From the early days of Derrick Storm," Castle lied. "He's a capo with one of the families. He's actually pretty nice."

Beckett scoffed, "For a criminal."

"I'm just saying, maybe he knows something," Castle went on. "Maybe he can tell us something the Feds won't."

Later that night, the Batman stalked the rooftop across a known mobsters' hangout. There was one man he was waiting for in particular; Sal Tenor. High enough on the food chain to have information. Low enough to be frightened into giving that information up.

Beckett had told Castle that if his 'guy' could give them information... well, the sooner the better. So, as soon as night fell, he donned his suit and went out into the city.

' _There he is_...' he noticed, seeing Sal being escorted by two goons into the alley towards his car. ' _Showtime._ '

He waited till Tenor was in the car. A well-aimed bat-a-rang shattered the lights in the alleyway, washing it in darkness. Jumping down, Batman landed on one of the goons, knocking him out. The other goon, unable to see well, swung blindly and missed by a mile. A simple headbutt took care of him.

Swinging the door open, he reached in and pulled the unsuspecting Sal out. The mobster let out a startled cry as he was slammed into the side of the car. Realizing who was holding him, he began stuttering. "L-look man, I didn't- I didn't do it! I-it wasn't me! I-"

"I'm not interested in what you did," Batman rasped. "I'm not here for you."

Sal relaxed. Well, as much as he could while being in the Batman's grip. "You're... you're not?"

"An investigation into one of the families," Batman stated. "The DA's office got an informant from the inside, and now he's in Witness Protection."

"Yea, yea, I know him! At least, I think I know who he is-"

"You  _think_ , or you know?" Batman hissed.

"I know! I know!" Sal assured. "He worked for the Spolano family. Jimmy 'the Rat' Moran!" Sal was blurting the information out. "He was an underboss, a favorite of the Old Man's. Rumor has it that he turned State's a few months ago, and the Spolanos are running scared. Apparently, Moran's got it all - bills of lauding, calendars, ledgers, the whole shooting match. Enough to take down all the top guys."

The Batman nodded. "Certain mob hit men have a signature styles or weapons. Someone used a plastic bag with duct tape to suffocate his victim. Does that sound like anyone you know?"

"N-no..." Sal answered nervously, confused by the change in conversation. "B-but I know somebody else would might know."

"Who?" Batman questioned.

"Jimmy 'the Rat.'"

* * *

" _You know, you want a guy to be loyal to you, you probably shouldn't nickname him 'the Rat.'"_

" _Professional hits are the hardest to close," Esposito shrugged. "The anonymous nature of the murder, the rules like motive and relationship to the victim don't play."_

"We need to talk to Moran. See what he knows,"Beckett stated. "And I'm pretty sure now that we know who the witness is, Dent will be more willing to cooperate."

* * *

Dent looked up from the file with a sigh. "Okay," he sighed. "I'll get you fifteen minutes with him."

"Thank you," Beckett replied.

* * *

Hearing the doorbell, Castle stood up from the couch. He couldn't hear Alexis coming down the stairs yet, so he opened the door. Owen stood there, smiling nervously when he saw Castle.

"Mister Castle," he greeted. "I'm Owen."

"Owen," Castle greeted, shaking the boy's hand. "Nice to meet you." Owen grinned, but it slowly disappeared when Castle's grip tightened.

The boy let out a nervous chuckle. "Nice to meet you too," he replied. He winced, and that's when Castle let go, not bothering to hide his smirk.

"So, Owen, I won't torture you too much," Castle assured, seeing the boy relax slightly. "I expect you to bring Alexis home by midnight. If she wants to come home sooner, you bring her home sooner. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Owen nodded.

"One other thing," Castle added, his voice lowering. "If you hurt my daughter, if you touch her inappropriately, if you so much as disrespect her… I will tie you to the hood of my car and take you for a high speed ride through Midtown, across the bridge, on the I-84 heading upstate, where no one will ever find your body. Do I make myself clear?"

Owen blanched. "Y-yes," he whispered.

"Yes what?"

"Yes sir."

Castle grinned, clapping Owen on the shoulder just as Alexis came down the stairs. "Good man."

* * *

" _Seriously, a parking garage? It's so clichéd."_

" _Mr. Moran, we're here about Doctor Leeds."_

" _He was found murdered. Asphyxiated. Duct tape with a plastic bag over his head."_

" _You have to let me know if there was anyone in the Spolanos that killed this way."_

" _Yeah, there is," Moran hissed. "Me. The duct tape, the bag – that was my M.O."_

* * *

" _We scared a key witness in a case so bad that now he won't testify."_

* * *

" _You think this is your fault? Yeah, you pushed for it. Not because it's your job, but because you care. Most people come up against a wall, they give up. Not you," Castle told Beckett. "You don't let go. You don't back down. It's what makes you extraordinary."_

* * *

"Did you have fun?" Castle asked once Alexis came back from prom.

"Actually, I did," she replied. "This… dating thing is kind of fun." She looked at him. "You know you didn't have to wait up, right?"

Castle shook his head. "It's my job," he countered. "I wait up. Make sure you're alright. But tonight… I realized I'm not going to be doing that for much longer. In a few years, you'll be going off to college. You're going to get married, have kids… I'm only going to see you on holidays."

"Dad, don't worry," Alexis replied. "No matter how old I get, I will always be your little girl."

"Promise?" Castle asked.

Alexis smiled. "Promise."

"Thank you," Castle whispered, pulling her to a hug.

"Now, the night is young," Alexis commented. "Let's go to work, okay?"

Castle nodded, smiling as she pulled him towards the office. "Okay."

* * *

" _It had to be someone we talked to…"_

" _My mafia connection?" Castle wondered._

" _If he's in rival family, they would want Moran to testify… We are looking for someone who had access to the doctor before we got the case."_

" _So that leaves the fiancé and the staff."_

* * *

" _Where's Maggie?"_

" _She's going to finish the job."_

* * *

" _Gotta say Jimmy, you're a hard man to find… I've got a message from Junior. He says… 'Go to hell.'"_

" _You're under arrest for the murder of Doctor Leeds and the attempted murder of Jimmy Moran."_

* * *

"Good work, Detective," Montgomery complimented. "Very good work."

"Thank you sir," Beckett replied. "I didn't think I'd ever say this but… I don't think I could've done it with Castle," she admitted. "The way he works, the way he pieces evidence together… It's amazing."

Montgomery nodded in understanding. "Castle sure is something else," he agreed. "Where is he, anyway?"

* * *

"So," Martha wondered after finding her son in the Batcave, "did you talk to Beckett?"

Castle paused, before shaking his head. "No," he admitted. "No, I couldn't bring myself to tell her."

"You can't keep this from her," Martha admonished.

"I can investigate on my own," Castle insisted. "Batman has resources that the NYPD doesn't–"

"It is her mother's murder case!" Martha stated, her voice firm and leaving no room for argument. "You can't investigate on your own. She has to know."

"I will tell her," Castle assured, "but only when I have more information. A bigger lead we can investigate."

"Richard, if you continue to lie to her, it won't matter if you hand over her mother's killer on a silver platter," Martha warned. "She will never forgive you."

"I found out something else," Castle said softly. "And it's not good." Martha's questioning look prompted him to continue. Hesitating, he handed her a sheet of paper.

"What is this?"

"It was a hunch I had," Castle explained. "I checked the ME's files to see if this was an isolated incident. But of course, this is New York. The city of crime." He frowned. "I found three other victims who was stabbed the same way as Beckett's mother, and the ME wrote all of them off as random muggings gone wrong."

"Were they related?" Martha wondered. Castle swallowed, closing his eyes. "Oh my God," Martha whispered.

"If I tell her any of this… it'll ruin her," Castle whispered. "I can't lead her down the rabbit hole."

Martha sighed. "She has to know."

* * *

Castle walked into the precinct, a backpack slung over his shoulder containing the files he had on Johanna Beckett's murder. His eyes searched for Beckett, spotting her in the breakroom, he steeled himself, preparing for what he was about to do.

"Castle?" Esposito called out. "What are you doing here? I thought you went home."

"I have to talk to Beckett," Castle explained, turning to the Latino detective. Esposito saw the apprehension in the writer's eyes, and grew concerned.

"Bro, you okay?' he asked. Castle breathed heavily, shrugging.

"I am, but I don't know how Beckett will react."

Javier stiffened in realization. "Her mother's murder," he stated, no question in his voice. "If you're telling Beckett… that means you found something."

"I'd rather Beckett be the first person to know," Castle answered firmly. Esposito nodded in understanding and pointed him towards the breakroom.

"Castle, what are you doing here?" Beckett wondered when she saw the writer.

"You have a second?" Castle asked.

"You look awfully serious," Beckett smirked. "Is everything okay?"

"Maybe you should sit down," Castle offered, placing the backpack on the table.

Beckett rose a brow. "Castle, what's going on?"

"There's something I need to tell you," Castle began. "But before I do, I just need you to know… It was never my intention to hurt you, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for going behind your back."

Beckett took a step back, eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. A cold feeling settled in her stomach as her body tensed.

Castle swallowed. "Promise you'll let me explain everything first?" he asked. "No matter what I say, you'll let me tell you everything. Then you can yell, or hit me, or whatever you feel like doing." That did nothing to ease Beckett's sense of dread. However, she could see the nervousness in Castle's eyes. Taking a deep breath, she shuddered.

"Okay."

Hesitantly, Castle took a file out of the backpack, placing it on the table. Glancing at it, Beckett felt her throat tighten, her breath leaving her. "I've been looking into your mother's murder," Castle confirmed, his voice soft. "I… I crossed a line and disrespected your trust, and I'm sorry. I was hoping that a fresh set of eyes might help find something that was missed or overlooked." He stopped when Beckett looked at him, betrayal clear on her face. True to her word, though, she remained silent.

"I was studying the autopsy report, when I noticed some discrepancies," he continued. "The medical examiner said the stab wounds were random and erratic. Beckett… there was a stab wounds that hit her kidney. It sent her into shock." Castle took out one of the papers in the file, handing it to her. "The size of the wound suggests the knife was twisted," he explained. "All of the other stab wounds were for show."

"I don't understand," Beckett whispered, looking up from the paper.

"Beckett… this was professionally done," Castle said gently. "A contract killer murdered your mother."


	12. Under the Hood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opening at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKZes7F4ngk

Atop of a Manhattan building, a lone figure crouched on the ledge, overlooking the city. It was a much different view from high up, and he took a moment to survey it. However, he wasn't studying it for pleasure or enjoyment. He had work to do, and from his perch he would be able to determine the best route to execute his plan.

Planning and preparation were crucial in order for him to catch this criminal.

Right on time, two cars entered the large alleyway, both coming from opposite sides. Parked, but still on, the cars were left on standby as the drivers exited.

"Do you have it?" the first one demanded as they approached each other.

"That depends," the second stated, his voice slightly slurred. "Do you have my money?"

On the roof, the vigilante watched closely as the exchange proceeded. The first man handed over a briefcase, presumably filled with money. After inspecting it, the second man grinned. "Excellent," he stated. He pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket, handing it over. "Your order; it should last for about a week."

"Where's the rest of it?" the first man demanded, taking the bag and inspecting its contents.

"It'll be sent to the address you gave us, as per the original agreement." There was a pause. "Relax. Business is good, and it's about to get better. You'll be the first in Manhattan to distribute Vertigo."

Having heard enough, the vigilante leaped into action. He flew off of the rooftop, landing on the buyer. It was a rough fall, but the man's body cushioned his landing. "Oh no, not you!" he heard behind him; the seller was running to his car. Turning around, he took out his weapon and fired, nailing the seller in the hand.

A scream escaped the man as his hand was impaled, now stuck on the door handle. He tried to free himself to no avail; looking back, he saw the vigilante approach him slowly. "W—wh—what are you d—doing here?" he stammered. The vigilante reloaded his weapon, aiming directly at the criminal's heart.

"Gregory Smith," the vigilante growled, making the criminal quiver in fear, "you have failed Sterling City." He took a single step forward. "And you have failed New York."

With a squelch, the arrow embedded in Gregory's chest.

_**THREE DAYS EARLIER** _

" _Hannah Kane, 24, died last night in what appears to be a drug overdose. Medical examiners say that the drug in her system is remarkably similar to the drug known as Vertigo, which nearly crippled Starling City. Starling City is also home to the new vigilante known only as the Hood, who is rumored to have had a hand in the capture of the man behind Vertigo-"_

Castle clicked off the news. He didn't like the sound of that. If the Hood did indeed have a vendetta against the sale of Vertigo, he might think of coming to New York. While Batman was more than capable of handling the drug problem, Castle didn't know what approach the Hood might take. Would he respect that New York was Batman's city and let Batman handle it? Or would come in guns – or rather, bow and arrows – blazing, and leave a trail of bodies in his wake?

Rubbing his forehead, Castle sighed. He had been up all night, trying to get some writing done. He had to turn in the last few chapters of  _Heat Wave_  by the end of the week; however, after his fall out with Beckett, inspiration had been severely lacking.

" _Beckett… this was professionally done," Castle said gently. "A contract killer murdered your mother."_

" _What's wrong with you?" Beckett whispered, her voice breaking. Castle winced._

" _Beckett-"_

" _What do you think gives you the right to look into my mother's murder?" Beckett demanded, snatching the file off of the table. "You may have gotten permission to follow me around, but this? This is off limits!"_

" _I know, and I shouldn't have done it," Castle answered honestly. "This is your mother. I'm not going to go behind your back anymore. If you want me to stop, I'll stop."_

_Beckett stared at him for a few moments. She held the file close to her chest, hurt etched on her features. "You should leave," she finally stated. Castle opened his mouth to protest, but Beckett's expression silenced him immediately. He merely nodded, averting his eyes from the pain he caused._

_He stopped at the door of the breakroom, swallowing roughly. "I am sorry, Kate," he said gently, then walked away._

Castle shut his laptop in frustration. He wasn't going to get any work done like this. Standing up, he pulled on the disguised lever to open the entrance to the Batcave, and went down the stairs, closing the entrance behind him.

With the door to his study open, Alexis and Martha were able to see Castle's restlessness and frustration. They only knew bits and pieces about what happened between him and Beckett, and had tried to not pry. Seeing how this argument was affecting her father, Alexis started to get worried. "Has Detective Beckett called him?" she asked, her voice hopeful. Martha shook her head.

"I'm afraid not… Don't you worry about it, kiddo," Martha assured. "They'll work it out."

* * *

In Starling City, Oliver paced in the lair, listening to the news report from New York.

" _This is Vicki Vale reporting live from the front of Arkham Asylum. We have just received reports that the Count, the creator of the Vertigo drug, escaped the asylum hours ago. Authorities assure us that they initiated a lockdown immediately following the breakout. However, the NYPD is warning people to avoid contact of any sort with the highly dangerous drug dealer."_

In Starling City, Diggle glanced worriedly at Oliver, whose jaw clenched at the report.

In New York, Castle's eyes narrowed. If the Count escaped, that could only mean one thing.

The Hood was coming to Manhattan.

* * *

**_WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE: GENESIS_ **

* * *

"Okay, Oliver, you need to calm down," Diggle advised. "What's done is done. There's nothing we could've done to prevent this-"

"I should've put an arrow in him when I had the chance!" Oliver countered. He punched the table in frustration. "They put him in Arkham because it was 'secure,'" he hissed sarcastically. "Because apparently Starling City doesn't have the kind of facility the Count needed for proper 'treatment.'"

"Oliver, it's out of our hands now," Diggle tried. "All we can do is let NYPD handle this."

"No, I need to go to New York," Oliver said in response. "The Count needs to be stopped."

"Well, what about Batman?" Diggle suggested. "I'm pretty sure he's not going to let a high-profile case like this one go."

"Woah, wait," Felicity interrupted. "The Batman? I thought he was just an urban myth!"

"Yeah, that's what most people outside of New York think," Diggle replied, "but he's real. Former Special Forces buddy of mine is a cop in Manhattan, and his captain is a… liaison, of sorts, between the NYPD and the Batman."

"Wow," Felicity managed. "I guess you'll have back-up in New York," she added, looking at Oliver.

"Not exactly," the billionaire sighed. "From what I've heard, the Batman and I go about things… differently."

"Differently how?" Felicity asked.

"Batman doesn't kill," Diggle answered. "He's been at this for what? Three, four years? He's never killed anyone."

Felicity let out a low whistle. "Okay… this just got awkward," she muttered to herself. Oliver looked away from her, brows furrowed. Finally, he went to his trunk, taking out his bow and arrow. "What are you doing?"

"Batman or not, it's not going to stop me from doing what I need to do, and stopping the Count," Oliver insisted.

"Oliver, you need to really think about this," Diggle warned. "Batman's no joke. The NYPD has his back. He's got everyone from random muggers on the street to the corrupt politicians at City Hall running scared! The Hood is a known killer, and if you step into his turf…"

"Maybe we should let Batman handle this one," Felicity offered from her seat. "I mean, if what Dig said is true, then this guy's proven to be perfectly capable-"

"No," Oliver said firmly. He turned to Felicity and Diggle. "I've heard the reports about this guy… Everyone that he puts away? They eventually get out. Locking criminals up isn't going to solve the problem; the Count is proof of that!" He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "I need to stop him, once and for all. He infected Starling with his poison once. There is  _no way_  I'm letting Vertigo spread to New York."

* * *

"Captain."

Montgomery turned towards Batman, nodding in greeting. He left the Batlight on; not only did it remind everyone of who the NYPD had on their side, but it also helped illuminate the rooftop at night.

"Do you have any leads on the Count?" Batman asked.

"We've got everyone from Narcotics to Anti-Crime working on this," Montgomery explained. "Highway Patrol is making sure he doesn't leave Manhattan. Then again, the delayed report on his breakout may have given him a head start. He might've already left the city."

"No, he's still here," Batman countered. "Hannah Kane was just the start. The Count is expanding his operation to New York."

"This mess with Vertigo is the last thing we need," Montgomery stated. "The Mayor is demanding an inspection of the asylum; not that I blame him, too many people keep breaking out. But the Count on the loose means that we could have a serious drug problem on the streets."

"That won't happen," Batman promised. He paused, thinking. "Is Crane still accounted for?"

"First thing I did was go down to the asylum and made sure," Montgomery assured. "He's still locked up." The Captain shuddered. "I'd hate to imagine the two of them working together."

"I'll be looking for the Count, and anyone who might be distributing Vertigo," Batman informed, moving to leave.

"Hey… this Hood guy. You know anything about him?" Montgomery wondered. Batman looked back at him.

"Spread word throughout the NYPD: If you see him, don't approach him," he warned. "He's dangerous."

"And if you see him?" Montgomery asked, fairly certain of the answer.

"I'm taking him down."

* * *

"Do you have it?" the first one demanded as they approached each other.

"That depends," the second stated, his voice slightly slurred. "Do you have my money?"

The first man handed over a briefcase, presumably filled with money. After inspecting it, the second man grinned. "Excellent," he stated. He pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket, handing it over. "Your order; it should last for about a week."

"Where's the rest of it?" the first man demanded, taking the bag and inspecting its contents.

"It'll be sent to the address you gave us, as per the original agreement." There was a pause. "Relax. Business is good, and it's about to get better. You'll be the first in Manhattan to distribute Vertigo."

Having heard enough, the vigilante leaped into action. He flew off of the rooftop, landing on the buyer. It was a rough fall, but the man's body cushioned his landing. "Oh no, not you!" he heard behind him; the seller was running to his car. Turning around, he took out his weapon and fired, nailing the seller in the hand.

A scream escaped the man as his hand was impaled, now stuck on the door handle. He tried to free himself to no avail; looking back, he saw the vigilante approach him slowly. "W—wh—what are you d—doing here?" he stammered. The vigilante reloaded his weapon, aiming directly at the criminal's heart.

"Gregory Smith," the vigilante growled, making the criminal quiver in fear, "you have failed Sterling City." He took a single step forward. "And you have failed New York."

With a squelch, the arrow embedded in Gregory's chest.

Hearing a groan behind him, the Hood turned to see the buyer struggling to get up. He aimed his bow, loaded with a new arrow, and fired. As if in slow-motion, he watched as a small and black object flew into sight, slashing into the fired arrow. Both projectiles fell to the floor, harmless and abandoned.

Arrow turned a sharp 180 degrees, bow and arrow drawn, ready to be aimed at the intruder. Even after a few moments of nothing, he remained tense and alert. "I know you're here," he called out, trying to lure whoever it was out. "Show yourself!" he demanded.

He was so focused on the area in front of him, that he didn't notice the large bat jumping off of a higher rooftop towards him until the last minute. Seeing the figure, Arrow fired his bow, missing his mark by only millimeters; Batman landed feet away from him. Batman used the Hood's surprised state to his advantage and lunged towards him.

The Hood snapped out of his surprise when Batman punched him in the abdomen. The archer blocked the next punch, before trying to hit back. Diggle hadn't been kidding when he saw Batman wasn't a joke. The man was clearly well trained, and he had experience on his side. Ducking underneath a swing, Oliver felt a small inkling of regret at not listening to Diggle. Anger at the Count, however, pushed that thought aside.

He managed to twist himself out of the hold Batman had him in. He rolled away,Batman growling at him, but not attacking again. The Hood stood up, hissing, "I'm on your side."

"My side?" Batman repeated incredulously. "You're no better than the people you kill."

"Like you're any better," the Hood retorted. "Leaving criminals with broken bones? Causing the city to have to pay millions in damages from your nightly escapades? We both cause our cities grief only because we are both doing something to help them."

"You're a murderer," Batman insisted. "You don't believe in justice. You've named yourself judge, jury, and executioner."

"You can do things your way, and I'll do things my way," the Hood snapped.

"The only thing you'll be doing is going to jail," Batman countered.

"Fine," the Hood said, putting the arrow he had back into his quiver. He switched the bow between his hands, clenching his fist. "But you're gonna have to get me there first."

Batman cocked his head slightly, studying the hooded vigilante before him. The two circled each other, staring each other down.

Then they pounced.

Batman sidestepped, avoiding getting hit by the Hood's bow. This didn't stop the Hood; still using the bow as a makeshift club, he swung at Batman again. A brief grunt left the caped crusader as the bow clipped him on the arm. Trying a different tactic, Batman let the Hood get as close as possible without being able to hit him. When the archer's guard was done, Batman reached for the bow.

With the string in his grasp, he pulled the bow towards him. The Hood stumbled forward, and the Batman used the loss of balance against him. Batman kicked the Hood's leg out from under him, sending him to a kneeling position, and ripping the bow out of his hand. Batman's brief distraction with tossing the bow away gave the Hood time to swing a leg out, sweeping Batman's legs out from under him.

Despite the fall, Batman hadn't slowed down at all. He kicked out, hitting the Hood in the chest. Batman pushed himself to his feet, the Hood doing the same. Neither one of them seemed to be ready to back down just yet. Fighting hand-to-hand, without any of their weapons or gadgets, the vigilantes found that they were fairly matched. Whereas the Hood was slightly faster, his brashness had him making mistakes. The Batman had more experience, but he wasn't fighting to kill.

Batman got the upper hand, and knocked the Hood down to the ground. Both of them were breathing heavily from the exertion, but Batman remained standing, glaring down at the Hood. "If you really want to help people," he advised, "you need them to trust you. Killing isn't the way to do that."

"I don't need trust," the Hood hissed, still on the ground. "Not from them, and not from you. What I need is to stop people like the Count from hurting innocents… And you're not going to stop me."

He spun around, flinging a flechette at Batman.

Barely managing to avoid getting hit, Batman turned back to see the Hood standing right in front of him. The Hood punched him solidly on the jaw, sending Batman to the ground. Not wasting any time, the archer raced towards his discarded bow, grabbing it and nocking an arrow.

Firing into the sky, the Hood held tightly as the cable pulled him into the air, towards one of the buildings. Reaching the rooftop, he pushed himself up and retreated into the night. Standing in the alleyway, Batman pulled the throwing knife out of the wall it impaled, putting it away in his utility belt. With a tired groan, he took out the Bat-Claw to leave, knowing that the Hood was long gone.

That's when he saw the blood stain.

Eyes narrowed under his mask, Batman approached the red splatter, illuminated by the lone lamp post. Kneeling down, Batman took out one of the shatterproof vials he carried with him for events such as this one, and collected as much of the blood as he could.

He knew it wasn't Gregory Smith's blood, the body was too far away, slumped against his car with an arrow in his hand and another one in his chest. As for the other thug who escaped, much to Batman's annoyance, he hadn't been bleeding.

_It has to be the Hood's…_

Calling Montgomery, he informed the captain of the new developments. A man dead, killed by the Hood who was indeed in New York. He kept the blood sample to himself; there wasn't enough left on the pavement to collect another sample anyways. Besides, he already had a DNA from his number one suspect.

Now, he just had to run a few tests to see if Oliver Queen really was the Hood.

* * *

Returning to the abandoned building he'd been using to hide out, Oliver removed his hood, wincing as he reached up. Batman may not have fought to kill, but the guy certainly knew how to pack a punch. Groaning, he sat down on the floor, taking a minute to rest. He had returned the long way, just to make sure the New York vigilante hadn't been following him or tracking him.

The fight itself took a lot out of him; it had been a while since he fought with someone as skilled as Batman. Stubbornly, Oliver had no intention of admitting that to Diggle.

As if on cue, Oliver's phone rang, his caller ID reading  _Diggle_.

"Diggle, before you say anything, trust me, I'm fine," Oliver said by way of greeting.

In Verdant, Diggle smirked. "Right," he said, having an idea of why Oliver felt the need to insist that. "That's not why I called, though. Oliver, Lance showed up. He had a warrant to search Verdant."

In New York, Oliver tensed.  _"Don't worry,"_ Diggle continued. _"Tommy covered for you. Disguised the basement to look like a storage room."_

Oliver let out a breath. He hadn't been expecting that, but was grateful regardless. "Remind me to personally thank him," he replied.

" _So how goes the hunt for the Count? Anything Felicity and I can do to help?"_

"I found Gregory Smith; he was selling Vertigo." Oliver sighed. "The buyer got away."

Diggle's brows furrowed. "Got away? How?"

" _I was… interrupted."_

Diggle paused, realization dawning on him. "You ran into the Batman, didn't you?"

Oliver frowned. "Have Felicity go through Smith's phone records. I want to know who he's been in contact with. I need to find the buyer and his stash." He hung up after that, not wanted to deal with any more questions. The only thing that could possibly hurt more than his ribs right now was his pride.

* * *

"Mr. Castle," Fox greeted. "How can I help you?"

Castle produced the DNA sample, along with the vial of blood. "These are two different samples I collected recently. I need to find out if they're the same person," he explained. Fox took both vials, a soft _hmm_  coming from him.

"I'm going to assume that whoever blood belongs to wasn't exactly a willing donor," he commented. The writer shrugged sheepishly, earning a chuckle from the older man. "I'll see what I can do. Depending on the level of contamination in the blood sample, it could take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days."

"Try to get the results as soon as you can," Castle replied, concern in his tone. "This guy is dangerous, and I need to ID him, fast."

Lucius tilted his head at that. "This blood wouldn't happen to be from that archer fellow, from Starling City, now would it?" he asked.

Castle grinned. "I don't know why I try to hide anything from you."

"I may be old, but I am certainly not senile," Fox declared, standing up to get to work. "I'll get right on it, and call you as soon as I have the results."

"Thanks Lucius," Castle said.

"Anytime, Richard. Anytime."

* * *

"The vic's name is Gregory Smith," Ryan began, filling Beckett in as she arrived to the crime scene. "Time of death was at 1:25 AM."

"How do we have an exact time of death?" Beckett asked, brows furrowed.

"Get this… the Batman called it in," Ryan answered. "And we already have a suspect." Beckett stopped walking once the body was in her line of sight. "Yeah, that was my reaction at first, too."

"COD was definitely the arrow to the heart," Lanie informed, seeing Beckett and Ryan approaching. "The arrow to the hand kept him trapped in place."

"The Batman didn't…"

"No!" Ryan interjected immediately, confused as to why Beckett would think that. "No, it was that vigilante from Starling City. The, uh… archer guy?"

"The Hood?" Beckett questioned. "I thought he was a myth."

"Nope," Esposito replied, walking over. "A buddy of mine who lives in Starling says that the Hood is one hundred percent real. He started out with killing corrupt one-percenters, then moved in on organized crime. Whoever he is, he's lethal and dangerous."

"I can't imagine the lethal part makes SCPD like him that much," Beckett mused.

"You guessed right," Esposito nodded.

"So now we have two vigilantes running around New York," Lanie said, standing up and away from the victim. "I just hope that this 'Hood' doesn't end up killing Batman."

Beckett's brows furrowed. "Do we know what any of them were doing here?" she wondered.

"See that briefcase?" Ryan pointed out, moving towards it. He left it where it was, but crouched down to open it. Beckett's jaw dropped when she saw what was inside. "It's all one hundreds."

"That's easily one million dollars," Beckett commented, still surprised. Then it struck her. "Vertigo," she realized.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"Vertigo," Beckett repeated. "That drug that nearly tore Starling City apart. The creator of the drug escaped Arkham yesterday. That's why the Hood is here in New York."

"He wants to put an end to Vertigo once and for all," Esposito added.

"Alright, let's have CSU tear this place apart," she finally ordered. "There has to be some trace DNA left behind; something that'll help us ID the Hood."

"Actually, there was blood splatter further down the alley," Esposito commented. "CSU says there's not enough to collect for a DNA test, though. What we do know is that it's too far to be Smith's."

"So the Hood?" Ryan guessed.

"Or Batman," Beckett sighed. "Okay, have CSU keep looking. And let's get in touch with Starling City Police; see what information they have on the Hood and the drug dealer. I think they called him the Count."

"The Hood, the Count… Starling City needs to come up with better names," Ryan muttered, standing up.

"Bro, one word," Esposito countered. "Batman."

"It's a cool name!" Ryan protested.

The boys continued to bicker, but moved along to do their jobs. Beckett let out a breath, looking at Smith. "How are you doing, sweetie?" Lanie asked, giving her a concerned look.

The female detective shook her head. "I'm fine," she lied.

"Kate Beckett, don't you dare lie to me," Lanie warned. "You took off from work for two weeks! You haven't taken that much time off in the last five years."

"I'm fine, Lanie," Beckett countered. "Really."

Lanie pursed her lips in disbelief, but sighed. "Have you talked to Castle?" she asked.

Beckett tensed, frowning. "No," she answered curtly.

"You can't avoid him forever," Lanie replied. "He screwed up; I know. But give him a chance? You know he cares about you."

"I'm going to head back to the precinct," Beckett said in response. "Let me know if you find anything."

* * *

To Castle's relief, the morning news hadn't mentioned Gregory Smith's death at all. That meant that the people of New York were still blissfully unaware that a killer vigilante was on the loose.  _I have to catch him tonight_ , Castle thought to himself.  _Before he kills anyone else_.

He was still waiting on Fox to get back to him with the DNA results. If Oliver Queen really was the Hood, then catching him would be much easier. Ever the writer, Castle had to wonder how the former party boy had become a ruthless killer.  _I guess five years stranded on an island really messes with you…_

However, it was still speculation that Queen was the vigilante. For all Castle knew, he and the SCPD could be way off base.

"Good morning darling," Martha greeted, coming down the stairs into the kitchen. "How did you sleep?"

Castle smiled at her. "Morning Mother," he replied. "Too many thoughts to really fall asleep." Martha's questioning look prompted him to continue. "I ran into the Hood last night."

"Oh," Martha commented, not having expected that. "I suppose it didn't go so well?"

"He killed a man," Castle answered. "The other criminal got away… and so did he."

"Why is he here?" Martha couldn't help but wonder. "Isn't there some sort of vigilante etiquette? He stays in his city, you stay in yours."

"If only it were that simple," Castle huffed.

"Any idea of his identity?" Martha asked, sitting down at the kitchen island. Castle shook his head.

"This guy is a ghost," he replied. "He's been at this for a few months, and he hasn't slipped up yet," the writer continued, frowning. "No one is that good."

"You are," Martha pointed out with a grin.

"Yes, but that's because I'm Batman," Castle stated simply, making his mother roll her eyes. He paused, thinking for a while. "Queen fits. The story makes sense." He shrugged. "I have Lucius running some DNA tests for me. Hopefully I'll know by tonight whether or not it actually is Queen."

"Who is Queen supposed to be?" Alexis asked, coming down the stairs.

"Another vigilante," Martha answered. "Morning dear."

"Morning Gram. Morning Dad." The teenager gave both of them a kiss on the cheek before sitting down next to Martha. "Are you talking about the Hood from Starling City?" When Castle nodded, she continued, "So you ran into him last night? I heard you mention something about DNA testing; he's the Hood?"

"We don't know yet if it is Oliver Queen," Castle countered. "But as of right now, he is our number one suspect."

Alexis  _hmm'_ ed in response. "Well, if it is, there's no way he can take you," she commented confidently. "After all, you are Batman."

Castle grinned while Martha groaned.

* * *

"How do you think Oliver's doing?" Felicity asked.

"Felicity," Diggle said, "I know you're worried. The best way to help Oliver is to track down the Count, and figure out his connection to Smith."

"Easier said than done," Felicity replied. "I went through Smith's phone records and emails, but there's nothing that suggests that Smith and the Count ever spoke, much less communicated," she said. "There's the possibility of burner phones, but without one of the numbers, we're dead in the water."

"What about the asylum?" Diggle wondered. "Did Smith ever go as volunteer or a visitor?"

Felicity shook her head. "No. I checked out everyone who had been in that building in the last three months. Unsurprisingly, not that many visitors, and even less volunteers." She looked at Diggle. "They're all clean. Smith never stepped foot into Arkham, and as far as I can tell, the Count hasn't been communicating through anyone."

Diggle's brows furrowed. "Then how did Smith get his hands on Vertigo?"

* * *

Alexis sat at the main desk in the Batcave, looking through casefiles related to the Count. Having finished all of her homework for the weekend, she was trying to find something in the SCPD's files that could help her dad deal with this situation. The amount of time she had spent so far staring at the same reports was longer than what she usually spent on a typical case.

Personally, she blamed the Hood. He had been overly involved in taking down the Count the first time around. His lack of a partnership with the police only caused for missing information in the detectives' reports, which was affecting her ability to find a new lead.

With a sigh, she exited the SCPD database. Leaning back in her chair, she let out a frustrated groan, silently cursing the Hood. A part of her wondered if Fox had gotten a result on the DNA tests yet.  _No, he would've called Dad, and Dad would've told me…_

Not willing to give up just yet, Alexis hacked her way into the NYPD's database, looking through the ME's report on Gregory Smith and the report Arkham Asylum filled out about the Count's escape. Doing a little more digging, the teenager discovered that Detective Beckett was the lead detective on the homicide case. It wasn't easy, considering she had to be discreet as possible and not actually take over their computers, but Alexis was able to access Detective Ryan and Esposito's computers to see what angles they had been working on Smith's homicide.

A beeping from the computer caught her attention. Looking into it, her eyes widened when she found a connection, one that the NYPD wouldn't be able to make. Jumping out of her chair, she ran up the stairs to the study.

"Dad!" Alexis exclaimed once reaching the top of the stairs. Castle looked up from his laptop towards her in concern. The redhead could barely fight her excitement. "There's something you should see."

When the two of them were downstairs, Alexis began to explain. "I was going through the current casefile the NYPD has on the Count, when it was suddenly updated." She pointed out the new information.

"Someone else overdosed on Vertigo," Castle murmured.

"Maybe the guy that got away while you were dealing with the Hood? It did sound like he was meeting Smith for a drug deal," Alexis guessed. "The NYPD is investigating Smith's homicide. Based off of the information I could pull, I was able to figure out where they are in their investigation."

"Ok," Castle said, pulling up a stool from the work bench. He sat down next to his daughter. "Fill me in."

"Now, they haven't been able to identify who the second guy was, but based off of the suitcase full of money, and the chemical residue on Smith's skin and clothes; the second guy was definitely the buyer and Smith was supplier," Alexis explained. "The chemicals found on his body correspond with the Vertigo formula. Except… for one small difference." She brought up the toxicology report onto the screen, and then also opened another report.

"When the Vertigo outbreak first started in Starling City, we managed to get our hands on some of it," Alexis continued. "Mr. Fox ran tests on it, and found all the ingredients used to produce it. That's the report on the left. The report on the right is the toxicology report the ME ran on the Vertigo substance found on Smith's body."

Castle studied both lists, eyes narrowing when he saw the difference. "Chlorpromazine," he realized. "That's an anti-psychotic... Alexis, can you pull up the toxicology report done for Hannah Kane?" Alexis quickly typed, bringing it up.

"Chlorpromazine," Alexis whispered when she saw it on the list. "But she died taking Vertigo."

"The Count must have added it to the formula," Castle hypothesized. "The amount he would need for mass production would be huge." He looked at Alexis. "And I can think of one place in New York which has Chlorpromazine in abundance."

"Arkham Asylum," Alexis realized. "The Count never left."

"He's been hiding there the whole time," Castle agreed, standing up. "You don't look for a runaway in the place he's running away from." Opening the case with his suit, he paused. "But why add an anti-psychotic?" He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Doesn't matter. I'm heading to Arkham now. If Lucius calls, transfer the call to the cowl," Castle instructed. "If the Count is still hiding in Arkham, we don't want to give him a heads-up. I'll be sneaking in, so that means radio silence."

"Got it," Alexis nodded. "Be careful."

"Always am. And Alexis," Castle added. "Good work. I'm proud of you."

Alexis grinned. "I learned from the best."

* * *

After blowing up a lock, Batman pulled the roof's unused service door open. As soon as he looked inside, he could see why it was out of use; the stairs were incomplete. Using the Bat-Claw, he made his way down. Finding a service grate, he strapped the Bat-Claw to his belt, keeping himself suspended in mid-air as he worked to open the grate. When he managed to get inside the vent, he made his way to the lower levels. He figured that if the Count was hiding out anywhere, it had to be in Scarecrow's old lab in the basement.

Given how scarce personnel was this time of night, the only sounds to cover his movements in the vents were the muffled wails and mutterings echoing in the asylum. He made it to the sublevel with little difficulty and dropped out of the vent, landing silently on the floor.

Sticking to the shadows, Batman crept towards where Crane had once created the fear toxin used by Ra's to attack New York. There was no one inside the lab, but all of the equipment and supplies were there.

It was a start, but it wasn't the main reason Batman was there. He had to find the Count, and stop the production of Vertigo once and for all. The drug dealer had to be nearby. Staging an escape from the asylum, but actually remaining in the asylum, would only work if…

_If he stayed on the move._

Batman paused, looking around. He couldn't move around to avoid guards and doctors without moving his equipment with him. This, however, was an elaborate set-up, not easily dismantled or reconstructed. It would've been discovered eventually; the Count had to have known that. This whole situation was too perilous for the drug dealer, so why not leave?

While Batman understood that hiding out in the asylum was the perfect disappearing act, New York City was big enough that it could take him and the NYPD weeks to find the Count.  _So why stick around this long?_

Hearing footsteps approaching, Batman moved out of sight, concealing himself in the shadows. Seeing a doctor and an orderly walk in, Batman had to admit that it was a plot twist he hadn't seen coming. Yet.

Slipping away, Batman cautiously explored the other side of the lab, making sure to keep his ears and senses on the corrupt asylum employees. Batman briefly wondered if they were working with the Count, before shaking that notion aside. From what he understood about the Count, the man didn't exactly cooperate with others, preferring to toss half-baked orders around.

 _So either they're clueless, or they're behind all of this_ , Batman thought to himself. The answer was presented to him when he peered behind a curtain. There sat the Count, drugged out of his mind and strapped to a chair. Batman couldn't help but stare at the man, who was mumbling something about 'failing the city' and 'waiting for a light.' It was all delusional speech.

A part of Batman – the part that was a father, that wanted to see the best in people – felt pity for the Count. Despite what he had done, this wasn't what he deserved. He should've been tried and convicted, with a jury to decide his fate. Then again, the Hood had taken that upon himself when he injected the Count with Vertigo, making him overdose.

Approaching the Count, Batman quietly took a blood sample from the drug dealer. Maybe Lucius could synthesize an antidote of sorts to help the Count, which would make him sane enough to be sent to trial.

Batman turned around to see the orderly trying to sneak up on him. The vigilante quickly took him down, but he wasn't quick enough to dodge the tranquilizer dart. Wincing as it struck him in the neck, Batman stumbled back, figuring that the good doctor had given him the strong stuff. Seeing the doctor pocket a handheld tranq gun, Batman fell to the floor, trying to stay awake but failing.

The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the doctor and orderly standing over him, staring down in fascination.

After the Batman didn't move for a few moments, the doctor tentatively kneeled next to him. With shaking hands, the doctor reached out towards Batman's mask, half-afraid that the vigilante was merely playing possum and would attack at any moment. Gripping the mask, the doctor froze, waiting. When Batman didn't move, he let out a relieved breath, then slowly pulled the cowl away, revealing the man behind the mask.

"I don't believe it," the orderly murmured. "Doc… that's Richard Castle. My wife reads his books– he's just a writer!"

"A writer, hmm?" the doctor said in response. "Well, Mr. Castle… You've come to the right place. Don't worry. Whatever delusions you have in that head of yours… we'll fix them."

* * *

Alexis was in a panic. "Oh no," she breathed. "Oh no, oh no-" The ringing of her father's phone made her jump. Shaking, she looked at the caller ID, letting out a breath. "Mr. Fox?" she answered.

" _Alexis?"_ Fox asked, hearing her desperate tone.  _"Are you alright?"_

"Not really," Alexis replied shakily. "You know how my dad's cowl has a monitor on it that also measures his vitals? Well, I'm staring at the Batcomputer's screen, and the vital tracker just shut down."

" _It shut down?"_  Fox questioned. " _But the only way that could happen is if…"_

"If he takes off his mask," Alexis finished. "Mr. Fox, my dad is Arkham Asylum, following a lead on the Count! There's no way he'd take his mask off!"

" _Somebody took it off of him_ ," Fox realized.

"Which means my dad is in trouble!" Alexis cried. "I have to call someone; Selina, or-or Captain Montgomery- Is Gabriel still in town-?"

" _You could always try the Hood."_

Alexis paused. "What?"

" _It's why I was calling,_ " Fox explained.  _"I finished the DNA tests. They're a match. The Hood is… whoever this DNA sample is from. They're the same person."_

Alexis let out a huff, an idea forming in her mind. "Mr. Fox, you are the best! Okay, I have to make a call and save my dad!" She hung up before Fox could say anything else, typing away on the computer. "Come on, come on," she muttered, searching. A victorious noise escaped her when she found the number she was looking for. Using the Batcomputer, she dialed the number, masking her number appear to be one of Oliver Queen's contacts.

After a few rings, he picked up.  _"Felicity, I told you not to call tonight-"_

"This isn't Felicity," Alexis answered seriously, before cursing herself once she realized how that sounded. "I'm not a kidnapper or anything; I don't even know who this 'Felicity' is-"

" _Who the hell is this?"_

Alexis winced. "Okay, rude much?" She sighed, forcing herself to calm down. She needed to get him to help, not get him angry. "We've never met, but you've met my father. The Batman." Hearing Oliver's intake of breath, she hurried to continue. "Look, I know you two aren't exactly friends, but he's in trouble right now, and I really don't want to lose him." There was silence over the line, and Alexis couldn't hide her desperation anymore.

"Look, I know who you are, and what you're capable of," she stated, "and I figured that you of all people would understand the fear of losing a father. I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories, but I need you to understand. I need you to help." She paused, still not hearing anything. " _Please_ ," she begged.

" _Where's your father?"_

Alexis let out a relieved sigh, closing her eyes. "His tracker puts him in the sublevel of Arkham Asylum. We figured out that that was where the Count was hiding. I'll guide you through the building once you get there."

Switching from his phone to Bluetooth, the Hood mounted the motorcycle he 'borrowed' and sped off towards Arkham. "You got a name, kid?" he asked.

" _So you can find out who my dad is?"_ came the reply. _"Yeah, no. You can call me Oracle."_

Under his hood, Oliver made a face. "'Oracle?'" he repeated, unimpressed.

" _Do not diss the name. Besides… it's better than the Hood."_

Oliver found he couldn't argue with that. "Touché."

* * *

Castle slowly opened his eyes, grimacing at the bright light hanging overhead. Seeing the lamp reminded him of where he was; immediately, he attempted to sit up, only to realize he was strapped down to a gurney. His utility belt was gone, as was his mask. Gritting his teeth, Castle looked around, trying to figure out a way out of this, when the doctor and the orderly came in.

"So," he began, watching in satisfaction as both men jumped, startled. "The Count never broke out of the asylum. It was you. The whole time, it was you." Recomposing himself, the doctor went to a table, his back blocking Castle's view of what he was doing. "How'd you get him to give up the formula for Vertigo?"

"He didn't," the doctor replied. Castle discreetly took out a fob he had hidden in a secret compartment in his left gauntlet. He pressed down on the button, and waited as the doctor continued speaking. "Truth be told, he couldn't tell me even if he wanted to. I ordered a biopsy on his kidneys. The tissue was infused with the drug after his OD. From the results, I realized I could reverse-engineer the components of the chemical compound. It allowed me to create a synthesized version myself, using what was left of Doctor Crane's equipment." He looked at Castle. "Turns out you didn't confiscate it all."

"My mistake," Castle growled. "I'll have to remedy that."

The doctor chuckled, turning back to the table. "I wasn't trying to be a criminal mastermind," he informed, turning back to Castle, holding a graduated cylinder filled with green liquid in his hands. "I just needed the money… Something I'm sure a best-selling novelist wouldn't understand." He turned to the orderly. "Open his mouth."

Castle struggled, but strapped down there wasn't much he could do. His struggling lessened as the liquefied Vertigo poured down his throat, entering his system. He felt his grip on the fob loosen, and could do nothing as it fell out of his hand, clattering to the floor.

"What the hell was that?!" the doctor demanded. The orderly grabbed it, looking at it confused. "I thought you took away all his gadgets."

"He must've had it hidden somewhere," the orderly countered. He froze suddenly, brows furrowed. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

The doctor's brows furrowed. "Hear what?"

Castle managed to speak up. "Back up," he whispered.

"Back up?" the orderly repeated.

At that moment, the windows shattered as a horde of bats swarmed into the room. Both the orderly and the doctor screamed in horror, fighting off the bats unsuccessfully. The doctor stumbled back, crashing into the gurney holding Castle and sending it to the ground. Castle winced at the impact, but pushed through. He managed to pull one of his hands free, and worked on the other restraints.

It wasn't quick work, but the bats kept the doctor and the orderly distracted long enough for Castle to free himself completely. Looking around, he saw the orderly was struggling with the bats flying around everywhere, but the doctor was nowhere to be seen. Pushing himself to his feet, he fell right back down again, gasping for breath.

Down the hall and around the corner, the Hood stopped running when he heard the crash of the windows. "What the hell was that?" he muttered to himself, pulling out an arrow. As soon as he turned the corridor, he saw the doctor running out of a room, a few stray bats flying out as well.

 _Bats,_  Oliver thought, loading the bow and aiming at the doctor.  _Of course._

"Freeze!" he ordered, making the doctor stop mid-step.

"I suppose you're here for your friend," the doctor remarked once he recovered. "I'm afraid the Batman doesn't have long now… After all, the amount of Vertigo I just gave him is a bit too much for the human body."

Under his hood, Oliver grimaced. He of all people knew how badly Vertigo could affect you. If Batman died, then New York was in a lot of trouble.  _But the doctor gave him Vertigo… Not the Count? What the hell is going on?_ Knowing now that the doctor was involved, the Hood fired the arrow, killing the doctor instantly. Grabbing another arrow, he ran into the room. Most of the bats had cleared out by now, and the orderly was about to shoot who Oliver assumed was Batman. He fired the arrow, watching the orderly go down.

Rushing over to Batman, the Hood took out the antidote he had for Vertigo and rolled the other vigilante onto his back.

He stared down at the New York hero in surprise; he recognized the man from the back of multiple books his mother read. Not wasting anymore time, he plunged the syringe into Castle's neck, hoping he wasn't too late.

"Come on," Oliver muttered, frowning. "Wake up."

Castle's eyes shot open as he coughed harshly. He rolled onto his side, spitting out the Vertigo. Breathing heavily, Castle looked over his shoulder, his eyes refocusing. He wasn't entirely surprised when he saw who was crouched next to him. "Mr. Queen."

Removing his hood, Oliver smirked. "Mr. Castle," he deadpanned.

"You actually know who I am?" Castle asked, sitting up.

"My mom's a fan," Oliver sighed. The writer chuckled at this, taking in a deep breath. He looked at Oliver again, nodding.

"Thank you."

"Thank your daughter," Oliver protested as they both stood up, Castle still a bit shaky. "She's the one who got in touch with me, sent me over here."

Castle blinked, impressed. "That's my girl," he whispered. He spotted his mask and utility belt, and went to grab them. "It wasn't the Count."

"What?" Oliver demanded.

"I found him in one of these rooms," Castle explained. "The guy's out of it. The doctor told me he reverse-engineered the compound. The Count had nothing to do with this."

"He created Vertigo in the first place," Oliver countered. "People are dead because of him. And he has to pay."

Castle frowned as Oliver walked away. That was when he saw the orderly's body. The writer could easily guess what happened to the doctor. "Dammit," he whispered. While he was relieved his secret identity was safe again, he couldn't help regret what Oliver had done to save him. Pulling his mask on, he followed Oliver, albeit much slower as his body was still reacting to the Vertigo antidote.

"-memory not what it once was," the Count was saying. Batman supported himself against the doorway, relieved that the Hood hadn't killed the drug dealer yet. "Nothing what it once was."

From the corner of his eye, Oliver could see Batman standing there. What surprised him the most was that the other vigilante, who was so opposed to killing, didn't make any moves to fight. He wasn't arguing with Oliver about 'being better' and 'there being another way.' He stood silently, but Oliver could sense the man's imposing nature. The Batman was a force, and knowing that it was a writer under the mask didn't lessen his presence.

Knowing he was a father only strengthened it.

Clenching his jaw, the Hood armed his bow, aiming it at the Count. Batman watched as the restrained man leaned forward. "Is there a name on the gravestone? No… It's new. Clean. And waiting."

Oliver stood there, trying to release the arrow, trying to kill the Count. His body twitched with the hate he held for the man. He swallow in frustrated once he realized that he couldn't do it. He removed the arrow, replacing it in his quiver. Most of all, he tried to ignore the way that Batman seemed to stand straighter, an approving nod being sent the billionaire's way. "We're done here," the Hood stated. "Let's go."

* * *

"I have to look into some deterrents of some sort," Castle commented, studying his cowl. "Something to prevent people from taking this off."

"Considering you've been at this for years, I'm guessing that it's the first time this has happened to you?" Oliver said.

"First time for everything," Castle confirmed. "You know, you should really look into getting a mask for yourself. That grease paint doesn't really help hide your identity. I know a guy."

Oliver looked at him. "You know a guy?"

"What, you think I built all this myself?" Castle scoffed. He smiled, shaking his head. "I'm a writer, not an engineer. I can get by with small tweaks and adjustments, but other than that? Way beyond my skill set."

"Thanks, but I'm good," Oliver replied. "A mask would only impair my vision and affect my accuracy."

The two were standing on one of Manhattan's rooftops, not too far from the asylum, the moon being the only source of light they had. Batman had yet to call the NYPD, still unsure what to tell them. Yes, the Hood had killed Gregory Smith, the doctor, and the orderly; at the same time, he had saved Castle's life and hadn't killed the Count. The writer wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Thanks again," Castle said. "For saving my life."

"I lost my father," Oliver replied stiffly, the subject obviously unpleasant for him. "I wasn't going to let a young girl lose hers."

"So the Hood does have a heart," Castle joked. "Good to know." Oliver's lips quirked slightly, so the writer counted it as a win. The billionaire seemed so stiff, not at all what the press portrayed him to be. "What are you going to do now?" he asked after a moment.

"Go back to Starling City," Oliver answered with a shrug. "Keep doing what I'm doing."

Castle frowned. "Killing?"

"I am a murderer," Oliver said, quoting Batman's words. "Remember?" He wouldn't admit it, but Oliver was jealous of the working relationship Batman had with the NYPD. It must've been reassuring to know that the police weren't going to try to arrest you every time the mask came on. Granted, killing wouldn't help the Hood's case, but Oliver would do what he had to in order to save Starling City.

"Then why isn't the Count dead?" Castle challenged. "I mean, it must've been tempting; the opportunity to stop him for good."

"People change," Oliver replied. "Not too long ago, I would've put that guy down for good. But looking at him today, all vacant…" He shrugged. "There didn't seem to be a point."

 _Well, that's a start,_  Castle thought to himself. "What about guys like Gregory Smith? The doctor and the orderly from Arkham? I'm going to have a lot to explain to the NYPD."

"The system is broken," Oliver insisted, "and people like that are just cycling in and out of prison and institutions."

Castle could see where the archer was coming from. It was a frustrating part of the job, but part of the job nonetheless. "I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then," he stated slowly. Oliver looked at him, realizing the meaning behind the writer's words. He nodded once in thanks, and they returned to silence.

"There's one thing I have to ask," Oliver started. "How does a best-selling novelist become a vigilante?" Castle chuckled humorlessly.

"Probably the same way a billionaire playboy does," he answered, seriousness filling his eyes. "Life happened." Oliver flinched at that; it was true. Life did happen, and in the most severe way possible. "The only thing that keeps me from crossing the line is my family. The people close to me. They keep me grounded. They keep me from going over the edge. Oliver, I can't begin to imagine what those five years were like for you, but letting people isn't a weakness. It's a strength."

Oliver stiffened, staring straight ahead. "Like I said before," he finally replied. "You do things your way, and I'll do things my way." Expecting that kind of response, Castle merely nodded. "Well, Mr. Castle," Oliver continued, "I guess this is goodbye."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," Castle countered, shaking Oliver's hand. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again. Hopefully, I won't have to kick your ass again."

Oliver chuckled at that. "That's how it is?"

"That is most definitely how it is," Castle assured, grinning. "Seriously, though. If you need anything, you know how to get in touch." With that, the writer turned and began to walk away.

The billionaire vigilante hesitated before giving into his curiosity. "How do you know I won't reveal your identity?" he asked. Castle stopped walking, turning to look back at the younger man.

He pulled his mask back on as he replied, "Same way you know I won't reveal yours." Taking out the Bat-Claw, he fired it and flew off into the night.

* * *

"Oh, you're still alive," Felicity commented in relief, when Oliver arrived back to Starling City.

"I'm guessing you didn't run into Batman then," Diggle mused. Both Diggle and Felicity were surprised when Oliver smirked. "Oliver, please tell me you did not kill the Batman."

Sending Diggle a frown, Oliver shook his head. "No… no, actually I did the opposite," he answered. "I saved his life. I think that's probably why he didn't try to arrest me."

"And the Count?" Felicity wondered. "We've been watching the news, waiting for a report on him."

"Still alive," Oliver stated, "and extremely out of it. It was a doctor at the asylum who was producing Vertigo."

"You let the Count live?" Diggle questioned, a proud sort of disbelief in his eyes.

Oliver sighed. "He can't hurt anyone anymore. There was no point in killing him."

"Maybe that's the reason why Batman let you go," Diggle suggested. "Maybe he thinks you can change. Do things differently."

"So, are you two like… friends now?" Felicity asked.

"That is an excellent question," Oliver replied truthfully. "He knows who I am, and I know who he is. I'm not sure how much farther it'll go."

"Speaking of friends," Diggle said, "Tommy's upstairs in the manager's office. He said he wanted to talk once you got back."

Oliver nodded in thanks, heading back upstairs to the club. Tommy had his back while Oliver was away the last few days, and the vigilante was grateful. Things had been rough between the best friends; Oliver hoped that maybe they could move past this and go back to being friends. As much as Oliver pushed people away, he couldn't deny that he hated being at odds with his loved ones.

 _Part of the job_ , Oliver told himself. Although, Castle had mentioned being close to his family, despite his nightly activities.  _And it was his daughter who called me_ … How could the writer be so close to his family, and be the Batman as well? Oliver frowned, but pushed the thought aside. Right now, as he walked into the manager's office, he had to focus on fixing the problem between him and Tommy.

Tommy spoke before Oliver had the chance to open his mouth. "There better be something you want to say to me," he stated, glaring at Oliver. The vigilante paused mid-step, taken aback at his friend's tone.

"Yeah," Oliver replied. "Yeah, I came by to say thank you. Felicity told me what you did, and I-"

"How did it go in New York?" Tommy interrupted. "Did the Hood get his man?"

Oliver winced at that. "Well, uh… We won't be having problems with Vertigo anymore," he answered honestly. Silence hung in the air, making Oliver shift uncomfortably. "Tommy, what's going on?"

"This club is important to me," Tommy said. "To you? It's just a front. I bribed a city inspector to keep your little lair hidden! I had to lie to the police, to  _Laurel,_  so I could protect you and your secret!"

"Tommy-"

"Let me finish," Tommy snapped harshly, surprising Oliver. "You want me to keep your secret, to help you be this  _thing_  that you've become… but you refuse to see me for what I've become."

"I've been gone for five years, Tommy," Oliver argued. "The last time I saw you, you played hard," he continued, getting angry. "You were hanging out with bad people doing bad things-"

"Yeah, and so were you!" Tommy hissed. "But I've changed… and you have too. Now you put arrows in people who do illegal things. The last time I checked, bribing a city inspector was not legal."

Oliver felt his stomach clench at those words. "You actually think that I could hurt you?" he asked softly.

"Truthfully, I don't know  _what_  you are capable of anymore," Tommy answered. "You are a complete mystery to me. I don't know how you find it so easy to kill people," Tommy said. "So the next time you decide to think the worst of me, imagine what I now think of  _you_." He turned around, walking away. "We're done, Oliver," he declared. "And I quit."

* * *

He would never admit it to Oliver, but finally meeting the Hood face to face had struck Castle with inspiration. He created a new character, a criminal simply seeking for redemption. Castle wasn't sure if this character would make it to the final draft, but at least he was writing again.

It was mid-morning, so Alexis and Martha would be waking up soon. He himself had been unable to sleep since returning sometime around 3 AM. After calling the NYPD, he made himself scarce and let them handle it. He couldn't, nor did he want to, hide the fact that the Hood killed two people that night. However, the Batman made sure to inform the officer in charge of the scene that it was done in self-defense. It wasn't the exact truth, but it would be better for Oliver if he ever got caught.

_And hopefully he'll stop killing…_

His phone began to ring. Finishing up a sentence, Castle grabbed blindly at his phone, placing it between his ear and shoulder. "Castle," he greeted.

" _Hey."_

The writer sat up straighter, grabbing the phone with his hand as his eyes widened. "Beckett?" He hesitated, considering his words carefully. "How are you?"

There was a pause.  _"Better,"_ Beckett replied.  _"I'm actually surprised you haven't tried to weasel your way back into the precinct."_

Castle huffed. "I didn't think you would appreciate that," he admitted.

" _Well, I appreciate you respecting my space,"_ Beckett thanked.  _"I needed time,"_  she added.  _"I buried this case, and my feelings about it, a long time ago… I moved on."_  Castle heard her let out heavy sigh.  _"At least, I thought I did_."

"Beckett?" Castle questioned.

" _I realized that the only reason why I stopped investigating was because I didn't have any new leads,"_  she explained.  _"No new angles. No new witnesses. I was dead in the water with this case… Now, I have something to work with. I'm still angry with you, Castle,"_ Beckett warned.  _"You broke my trust_."

"And I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you," Castle promised. "But if you want me out of your life, if you don't want me to come back to the precinct… I understand. I won't try to force my way back in."

Silence answered him. Despite his words, Castle hoped with all his being that Beckett would forgive him and accept him back at the Twelfth. He had grown to love working with Beckett and the boys, and honestly enjoyed what the four of them did together. They were a good team, and Castle worried he might have ruined something good.

 _They'll be fine without me,_  Castle thought to himself.  _They worked well before I showed up; they'll keep doing good work if I'm not there._

" _Take the rest of the summer off, Castle,"_  Beckett finally said.  _"I'll see you in the fall_."

Castle felt his shoulders drop, his tension gone and relief filling him. "Sounds good to me," he replied. "I'll see you in the fall, Beckett." Both of them hung up, a heavy weight lifting off them.

Setting his phone aside, Castle leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. He glanced at the hidden door and stood up, heading down to the lair. Reaching the main desk, he reached for the green arrow sitting there. Fiddling with it, Castle wondered how this had become his life. Fighting crime, working with the NYPD – both with and without a mask – and now dealing with other vigilantes.

With a huff, he stood up, walking over to his evidence locker. It was a fairly large metal container, with multiple drawers and compartments. Opening the one he had designated for the Hood, Castle placed the arrow next to Oliver's blood sample, and shut it close.

Having some time to kill before facing the reality of the new day, he opened a larger drawer, containing evidence from some still unsolved cases. Castle glanced at the joker card Montgomery had given Batman, sealed in an evidence bag, as he grabbed the newest present Riddler had left behind for him. For a moment, Castle considered looking into that case instead, but decided against it. Edward Nygma was a bigger threat.

After all, some guy who left joker cards behind as his calling card couldn't really be taken seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! The next part of the series, The Dark Knight, will be posted late January 2016.

**Author's Note:**

> A reminder; not all chapters will be like this. This one was more in-depth due to the fact that it is the pilot episode and has a lot of foundational material in it. Some chapters/episodes will be a single scene, a few selected scenes, a pre-or-post episode scene, and there will also be some original, inspired, or DC related chapters.


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